How air pollution may make tuberculosis spread more in Kampala slums
Air Pollution Effects on Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Urban Slum Community in Uganda
This project looks at whether breathing fine air pollution makes people with tuberculosis more likely to spread it and makes their household members more likely to get infected.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11112290 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, the team will measure the tiny particles in the air you breathe at home and personally, record coughing and collect samples of breath to measure TB bacteria, and take blood or immune tests. They will follow people diagnosed with active TB and their household contacts over time to see who becomes infected. Field air monitors, cough sampling, and lab immune tests will be linked to infection results to understand how pollution changes infectiousness and susceptibility. All participant visits and sampling are done in the Namuwongo slum area of Kampala, Uganda.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people living in Namuwongo, Kampala who either have active pulmonary TB or live in the same household as someone recently diagnosed with TB.
Not a fit: People who do not live in the study area or who have no household exposure to someone with active TB are unlikely to benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to practical ways to reduce TB spread by lowering or protecting against air pollution exposure in vulnerable communities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory and observational work suggests air pollution can weaken TB-related immune responses, but direct real-world evidence linking PM2.5 to person-to-person TB transmission is limited and this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schwander, Stephan K — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Schwander, Stephan K
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.