New study casts doubt on the way in which TB is transmitted
In the opening press conference of the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health (WCOLH), held virtually on 19-22 October 2021, researchers from the University of Cape Town in South Africa announced results from their study of TB positive people carried out in a specially constructed Respiratory Aerosol Sampling Chamber which suggest that coughing, thought previously to be the main means of spreading TB, might not be the primary driver of TB transmission. Instead, tidal, or regular, breathing may be a far more significant contributor to the aerosolization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterial cause of TB.
For more details about the study, read the official WCOLH press statement. Health Policy Watch also reported on the study.
SEE ALSO:
- The Conversation: New study shows that normal breathing is a major spreader of TB
