RESIST-TB released its September 2020 newsletter with the latest research publications on drug-resistant TB.

In multiple studies comparing the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide, findings thus far suggest lower rates of infection and mortality in countries with universal neonatal Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) tuberculosis vaccination policies compared with countries without this practice.¹ In research published in July 2020, every 10% increase in the BCG index (which reflects the extent of a country’s BCG vaccination) was associated with a 10.4% reduction in mortality from COVID-19, and higher mortality rates were observed in countries with later vs early initiation of universal BCG vaccination.²

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) released its September 2020 newsletter, summarizing the initiatives and activities carried out during the month. The program outline for the 51st Union World Conference on Lung Health is now available online.

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) will host a webinar on 8 October 2020 to place a special spotlight on the linkages between TB and mental health disorders.

In India the thorny issue of treatment of Tuberculosis took a turn for the worse when the coronavirus outbreak hit the country.

Results from the Phase 2 trial of the DAR-901 tuberculosis (TB) vaccine were announced today by investigators at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and published in the journal Vaccine. The three-year trial was conducted among 650 adolescents in Tanzania, a nation with high rates of TB infection, and showed that the vaccine was safe and induced immune responses against the disease.

Self-administered isoniazid-rifapentine taken once weekly — a regimen called 3HP — was associated with higher treatment completion rates for latent tuberculosis infection compared with daily rifampin, according to a study.

The T-SPOT.TB test is now the only interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) cleared for use in children ages two and upwards in the United States.

As the COVID-19 pandemic claims lives across the planet and eclipses all other news, it is easy to forget that it is not the only pandemic harming people across the globe. Tuberculosis (TB) has been found in the bones of ancient mummies and in the lungs of young children in the present. It has insidiously woven itself into the fabric of humanity over millennia, shaping culture along the way. Although it does not dominate news cycles like the younger pandemic, TB remains a serious global health crisis today.

The Federal Government Monday revealed that 74  percent of Tuberculosis (TB) patients are yet to be identified, as only 26 percent of them have been placed on treatment across the country.