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Pediatric Tuberculosis Diagnostics: Present and Future

Francesca Wanda Basile1, Pamela Nabeta2, Morten Ruhwald2

  • 1Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
|October 31, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Diagnosing pediatric tuberculosis remains challenging due to various factors. However, recent advancements in rapid molecular assays and child-friendly testing methods offer improved detection for children with tuberculosis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Diagnostic Microbiology
  • Global Health

Background:

  • Current diagnostic methods for pediatric tuberculosis are insufficient, leading to under-diagnosis.
  • Challenges include lack of specific symptoms, low bacterial counts, difficult sample collection, and limited access to tools in high-burden areas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight recent advancements in pediatric tuberculosis diagnostics.
  • To emphasize the need for child-specific considerations in developing new diagnostic tests.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent progress in novel diagnostic assays for pediatric tuberculosis.
  • Inclusion of WHO-endorsed rapid molecular assays and alternative specimen types like stool.
  • Identification of candidate biomarkers based on host immune response.

Main Results:

  • WHO-endorsed rapid molecular assays show promise for decentralized testing.
  • Stool samples are now recommended as a child-friendly alternative for GeneXpert testing.
  • A growing pipeline of assays in development and new biomarkers are emerging.

Conclusions:

  • Encouraging progress is being made in pediatric tuberculosis diagnostics.
  • New assays and biomarkers are expanding testing capabilities.
  • Considering the unique needs of children is crucial for developing effective diagnostic tools that meet WHO priorities.

Keywords:
childrendiagnosticshost-basedmolecularpipelinetuberculosis

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