Experiences in the introduction of bedaquiline pretomanid linezolid for drug-resistant tuberculosis in Kyrgyzstan.

Settings: In Kyrgyzstan, drug-resistant tuberculosis poses a significant challenge. Recognizing the potential of the BPaL regimen, the World Health Organization recommended its use for selected drug-resistant TB cases under operational research conditions in 2020.

Objective: This report presents experiences and results from the BPaL operational research under the LIFT-TB project in Kyrgyzstan.

Digital health solutions and integrated COVID-19 and TB services to help recover TB care and prevention services in the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive study in four high TB burden countries.

Background: The measures undertaken to control COVID-19 have disrupted many platforms including tuberculosis (TB) healthcare services. Consequently, declines in TB notifications have been observed in various countries. We visualized changes over time in TB and SARS-CoV-2 infection notifications and reported on country-specific strategies to retain TB care and prevention services in Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Vietnam.

QuantiFERON-TB Gold plus testing for the detection of LTBI among health care workers in major TB hospitals of the Northern Kyrgyz Republic.

Background: Health care workers (HCW) are at increased risk of TB infection due to their close contact with infected patients with active TB. The objectives of the study were (1) to assess the prevalence of LTBI among HCW in the Northern Kyrgyz Republic, and (2) to determine the association of LTBI with job positions or departments.

Methods: HCWs from four TB hospitals in the Northern Kyrgyz Republic were tested with the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) Quantiferon-TB Gold plus (QFT) for the detection of an immune response to TB as marker of TB infection.

Acceptability, feasibility, and likelihood of stakeholders implementing the novel BPaL regimen to treat extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis patients.

Background: BPaL, a 6 month oral regimen composed of bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid for treating extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is a potential alternative for at least 20 months of individualized treatment regimens (ITR). The ITR has low tolerability, treatment adherence, and success rates, and hence to limit patient burden, loss to follow-up and the emergence of resistance it is essential to implement new DR-TB regimens. The objective of this study was to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and likelihood of implementing BPaL in Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, and Nigeria.

Implementing contact tracing for tuberculosis in Kyrgyz Republic and risk factors for positivity using QuantiFERON-TB Gold plus.

Background: Effective active case finding (ACF) activities are essential for early identification of new cases of active tuberculosis (TB) and latent TB infection (LTBI). Accurate diagnostics as well as the ability to identify contacts at high risk of infection are essential for ACF, and have not been systematically reported from Central Asia. The objective was to implement a pilot ACF program to determine the prevalence and risk factors for LTBI and active TB among contacts of individuals with TB in Kyrgyz Republic using Quantiferon-TB Gold plus (QuantiFERON).