Finding hidden tuberculosis by testing adolescents and their household contacts
A new method for active tuberculosis case finding
Researchers will do regular blood tests for TB infection in Tanzanian adolescents and then check their household members for hidden TB when a teen newly tests positive.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania U Rep) |
| Project ID | NIH-11327288 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you would get a blood test called an IGRA at the start and then every few months if your first test is negative so the team can spot new TB infection early. When a teen's test changes from negative to positive, the study team will visit the teen's home and offer testing to the people who live there to find anyone with undiagnosed TB. The goal is to find source cases who may still have active TB nearby so they can get treatment sooner. The work is being carried out in Dar es Salaam by Muhimbili University and builds on earlier school-based testing that showed this approach can find new infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents living in the study area of Dar es Salaam who do not have known active TB at enrollment and who can provide consent or parental permission.
Not a fit: People already diagnosed and on treatment for active TB or those living outside the study catchment are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This approach could find people with undiagnosed TB faster in households linked to newly infected adolescents, allowing earlier treatment and possibly reducing spread.
How similar studies have performed: This idea builds on a prior three-year school-based serial testing project in Tanzania that showed regular IGRA testing was feasible and detected new infections, but using converters to target household screening is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania U Rep
- Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis — Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania U Rep (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Amour, Maryam — Muhimbili University/ Allied Hlth Scis
- Study coordinator: Amour, Maryam
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.