Background: Halting transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) by identifying infectious individuals early is key to eradicating tuberculosis (TB). Here we evaluate face mask sampling as a tool for stratifying the infection risk of individuals with pulmonary TB (PTB) to their household contacts.
Methods: Forty-six sputum-positive PTB patients in The Gambia (August 2016-November 2017) consented to mask sampling prior to commencing treatment.