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Dr Kefyalew Alene, who heads the Geospatial and Tuberculosis team at The Kids and is a senior research fellow within the Curtin School of Population Health, has used cutting edge technology to transform the way TB transmission is predicted, understood and managed globally.
The first global review of the effectiveness of current strategies to fight tuberculosis has found preventive therapy is the most effective intervention strategy.
BCG vaccination and revaccination are increasingly being considered for the protection of adolescents and adults against tuberculosis and, more broadly, for the off-target protective immunological effects against other infectious and noninfectious diseases. Within an international randomized controlled trial of BCG vaccination in healthcare workers (the BRACE trial), we evaluated the incidence of local and serious adverse events, as well as the impact of previous BCG vaccination on local injection site reactions (BCG revaccination).
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the most commonly administered vaccine in human history. The medical application of BCG extends far beyond the fight against tuberculosis. Despite its stellar medical record over 100 years, insight into how BCG provides this vast range of benefits is largely limited, both for its pathogen-specific (tuberculosis) as well as pathogen-agnostic (other infections, autoimmunity, allergies, and cancer) effects.
Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from infectious diseases. Africa is the second most-affected region, accounting for a quarter of the global TB burden, but there is limited evidence whether there is subnational variation of TB prevalence across the continent. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate sub-national and local TB prevalence across Africa.
Country-level estimates can mask local geographic variations in progress toward achieving World Health Organization's End TB targets. This study aimed to identify spatial variations in progress toward achieving the TB incidence reduction target at a district level in Ethiopia.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a significant public health concern, often resulting in poor treatment outcomes. This study aims to identify predictors of poor treatment outcomes among patients with DR-TB in Hunan Province, China.
Interferon γ release assays (IGRAs) are widely used for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection. However, with repeated testing, IGRA transformation (conversion or reversion) may be detected and is challenging to interpret. We reviewed the frequency of and risk factors for IGRA transformation.
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and is a leading cause of death. BCG is the only licensed TB vaccine. Preclinical studies have shown that in adults, intravenous administration of BCG improves protection against TB. We hypothesize that intradermal administration of BCG to the human newborn leads to low-grade BCG bacteremia and that this systemic dissemination improves protection against Mtb infection. This hypothesis is based on supporting observations including animal and human studies. It is a testable hypothesis and offers to deliver immediately actionable insight to advance the global efforts against TB.
Low tuberculosis (TB) case detection remains a major challenge in achieving the End TB targets. New strategies that consider local contexts are needed in countries with high TB burdens like Ethiopia. This study examined the effect of integrating traditional and modern TB care to increase the TB case detection rate.