Epidemiology and Control of Tuberculosis Infections
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide, driven by complex interactions between host immunity, social determinants and health-system factors. Epidemiological surveillance has documented persistent high burdens in low- and middle-income countries, alongside emerging disparities in high-income settings. Key challenges include identifying and treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to prevent progression to active disease, tailoring interventions for marginalised groups and refining diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to curb transmission. Control efforts span from enhanced molecular surveillance and contact tracing to shortened treatment regimens and novel vaccines under evaluation. Progress towards elimination demands integrated approaches that address social inequities, improve case detection and deliver cost-effective prevention and care at scale.
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Epidemiology and Control of Tuberculosis Infections publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology and control of tuberculosis infections across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI): A state in which individuals are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis without clinical or radiological evidence of active disease.
Transmission dynamic model: A computational simulation that quantifies TB transmission, progression and the impact of interventions over time within a defined population.
Incidence: The number of new TB cases occurring in a population during a specified time period, expressed as a rate.
Prevalence: The total number of TB cases, both new and existing, present in a population at a given point in time.
References
- Racial and ethnic disparities in diagnosis and treatment outcomes among US-born people diagnosed with tuberculosis, 2003–19: an analysis of national surveillance data. The Lancet Public Health (2024).
- Tabby2: a user-friendly web tool for forecasting state-level TB outcomes in the United States. BMC Medicine (2023).
- Prospects for Tuberculosis Elimination in the United States: Results of a Transmission Dynamic Model. American Journal of Epidemiology (2018).
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