TB yields from expanded contact tracing investigations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Global Health

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) presents a major global health challenge, exacerbated by a significant gap in case detection.
• Current contact tracing strategies predominantly focus on bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB, often neglecting pediatric, clinically diagnosed, and extrapulmonary TB cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the potential of broadening contact tracing efforts to include pediatric, clinically diagnosed, and extrapulmonary TB index patients.
• To evaluate the yield of contact tracing in these frequently overlooked TB subgroups.

Main Methods:

• A targeted literature review was performed using major scientific databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Lens.org).
• Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to a title and abstract review of identified studies.

Main Results:

• Thirteen studies reported contact tracing yields from the targeted index patient groups.
• Yields for active TB disease were up to 8.1% (pediatric), 3.0% (clinically diagnosed), and 2.1% (extrapulmonary).
• Yields for TB infection were up to 17.9% (pediatric), 12.6% (clinically diagnosed), and 11.1% (extrapulmonary).

Conclusions:

• Expanding contact tracing to include these typically excluded TB cases can substantially improve case detection rates.
• Refining contact tracing protocols and implementing inclusive strategies are crucial for enhancing TB control and achieving global elimination targets.