Advances in Tuberculosis Diagnostics

Accurate and timely diagnosis is the first step for initiating effective treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and interrupting transmission. Worldwide, nearly one third of all TB cases go undetected or unreported each year. The emergence of extensively drug-resistant TB, in addition to challenges in detecting TB among children and people living with HIV has created an urgent need for better technologies. In the past 5 years, Xpert MTB/RIF has proved to be pathfinder for improved diagnosis. However, gaps remain. Currently, there is no molecular replacement for sputum smear microscopy at the level of peripheral laboratories. There is no simple, non-sputum-based biomarker test that can detect all forms of TB at the primary care level. There is also a need to align emerging TB drug regimens with appropriate companion diagnostics. This review describes advances in non-molecular and molecular diagnostics and their potential to fill the gaps in TB case detection. © 2015, Springer International Publishing AG.