Screening of immigrants in the UK for latent tuberculosis

Abstract

Evaluation of: Pareek M, Watson JP, Ormerod LP et al. Screening of immigrants in the UK for imported latent tuberculosis: a multicentre cohort study and cost–effectiveness analysis. Lancet Infect. Dis. 11(6), 435–444 (2011).

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious public health problem in the UK, and detection and prophylactic treatment of latent infection offers improved control. A recent study advocates the use of IFN-γ release assays to detect latent TB infection in immigrants to the UK under 35 years of age and suggests that such a program would be most cost effective if targeted at new entrants from high burden countries. We discuss these findings in the light of recently updated UK and European guidelines. We conclude that while action to contain TB in the UK is urgently needed, further evidence is required to assess the impact and cost–effectiveness of screening algorithms for latent infection.

Keywords::

• cost–effectiveness
• IFN-γ release assay
• latent tuberculosis
• screening
• tuberculosis

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Giovanni Ferrara has received laboratory materials for a value of €2000 from ADA, the Italian distributor of the QuantiFERON^®-TB Gold test. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.