Tongue swab <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> qPCR for community screening of asymptomatic TB vs. clinic-based triage of symptomatic TB
Sensitivity of tongue swab high-volume qPCR for community-based, household screening for asymptomatic TB was low, approximately half that of facility-based triage for symptomatic TB, but increased with radiographic severity and sputum bacillary load.
Authors
- Alexey Ball
- Stephanus T. Malherbe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7563-8231)
- Katherine A. Lochner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4498-6433)
- Tumelo Moloantoa
- Alaina M. Olson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2384-5025)
- Firdows Noor
- Tahlia Perumal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0679-5804)
- Simon C. Mendelsohn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4054-2766)
- Michèle Tameris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7983-7203)
- Khuthadzo Hlongwane (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0882-9599)
- Amy Steadman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5605-1240)
- G. Cangelosi
- Denis Awany (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8379-814X)
- Alasdair J. Leslie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2538-6467)
- Neil Alexander Martinson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0184-5705)
- Rane B. Dragovich
- Keertan U.J. Dheda
- Austin Katona
- Kim Stanley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2030-7275)
- Ravindre Panchia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3601-0839)
- Katie Hadley
- Kris M. Weigel
- Rachel C. Wood
- Mark Hatherill
- Humphrey C Mulenga
- Yuri van der Heijden
- Gerhard Walzl
- Thomas Scriba
- Timothy R Sterling
- Bernard Fourie
- the RePORT South Africa Study Team
Institutions
- South African Medical Research Council (ZA)
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of the Witwatersrand (ZA)
- University of Washington (US)
- Bellevue Hospital Center (US)
- South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (ZA)
- Aurum Institute (ZA)
- Africa Health Research Institute (ZA)
- Perinatal HIV Research Unit (ZA)
- Intellectual Ventures (United States) (US)
- University College London (GB)
- University of Pretoria (ZA)
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- medRxiv
- Published
- 2026-02-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.12.26346160
- Primary Topic
- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- CRDF Global
- Vanderbilt University
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- South African Medical Research Council
- University of Pretoria
- Universiteit Stellenbosch
- University of Cape Town
- National Institutes of Health
- Medical Research Council