Tuberculosis prevention: current strategies and future directions.

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Immunology

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) infection affects a quarter of the global population, with a significant percentage progressing to active disease.
• Preventing TB is crucial for controlling the epidemic and achieving World Health Organization (WHO) END-TB Strategy goals.
• Understanding the spectrum from latent infection to active TB is vital for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of current evidence and recent advancements in tuberculosis prevention.
• To summarize state-of-the-art updates on TB prevention in diverse settings and high-risk populations.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of findings on tuberculosis prevention strategies.
• Overview of current research developments in TB prevention.

Main Results:

• Focus on Mycobacterium bovis Bacille-Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination and novel vaccine candidates.
• Review of diagnostic tests for latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
• Analysis of available tuberculosis preventive treatment regimens and recommendations for various settings.

Conclusions:

• Effective global TB prevention necessitates a comprehensive approach, including addressing social determinants of health.
• Improved access to TB detection and novel, short-course preventive treatment regimens is essential.
• Continued collaboration and innovative research are critical for developing new diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments for all populations.