20 Mar 2025 • A large-scale TB prevalence survey in India screened 130,932 individuals, revealing key insights into diagnostic tools.

Cough >2 weeks showed 41.6% sensitivity and 72.8% specificity, while chest X-ray (CXR) had 86.4% sensitivity but 42.1% specificity. MTB/RIF testing had the highest sensitivity (96.5%), and smear microscopy had the highest specificity (99.7%).

The mobile van MTB/RIF was highly specific (99.3%), emphasizing the value of an integrated approach combining symptom screening, CXR, and molecular testing for better TB detection.

Source: Nature | Read Full Story