Risk of tuberculosis transmission by children in Hamburg, Germany.

Background: Data from a prospective molecular-epidemiologic study (1997-2021) in Hamburg, Germany, were evaluated to assess the transmission risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (Mtbc) by children <15 years in a low-incidence setting.

Methods: Isolates of Mtbc were genotyped whole genome sequencing, applying a core genome multilocus sequence typing scheme. Close contacts of culture-confirmed children were examined for latent Mtbc infections (LTBI) with particular focus on IGRA testing.

Accuracy of whole-genome sequencing to determine recent tuberculosis transmission: an 11-year population-based study in Hamburg, Germany.

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Yield of chest X-ray tuberculosis screening of immigrants during the European refugee crisis of 2015: a single-centre experience.

Objective: Our aim was to determine the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), the number needed to screen (NNS), and the diagnostic accuracy of chest X-ray (CXR) screening to detect active pulmonary TB during the 2015 European refugee crisis.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated data of all refugees who underwent CXR screening in a single-centre of one German metropolitan area in 2015. We determined the prevalence of TB, NNS, and accuracy of CXR to detect active pulmonary TB.

Whole-genome-based Mycobacterium tuberculosis surveillance: a standardized, portable, and expandable approach.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) allows for effective tracing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) (tuberculosis pathogens) transmission. However, it is difficult to standardize and, therefore, is not yet employed for interlaboratory prospective surveillance. To allow its widespread application, solutions for data standardization and storage in an easily expandable database are urgently needed.

Negative and positive predictive value of a whole-blood interferon-γ release assay for developing active tuberculosis: an update.

Rationale: only limited data are available on the predictive value of interferon-γ release assays for progression from latent tuberculosis infection to active tuberculosis (TB).

Objectives: to build on our initial study comparing the QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-tube assay (QFT) with the tuberculin skin test (TST) in close contacts of patients with TB and evaluating progression to active TB for up to 4 years.

Methods: a cohort of close contacts of smear-positive index cases established between May 2005 and April 2008 was tested with QFT and TST.

Comparative performance of tuberculin skin test, QuantiFERON-TB-Gold In Tube assay, and T-Spot.TB test in contact investigations for tuberculosis.

Rationale: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) are an alternative or adjunct to the tuberculin skin test (TST) in identifying recent contacts with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), but there are scarce data directly comparing performance of the tests.

Objective: To evaluate the agreement between both IGRAs and to determine which contacts were most likely to represent LTBI, the QuantiFERON-TB-Gold In Tube assay (QFT) and the T-Spot.TB test (T-Spot) were compared in TST-positive persons recently exposed to pulmonary tuberculosis cases.

Predictive value of a whole blood IFN-gamma assay for the development of active tuberculosis disease after recent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Rationale: Numerous studies have been published on the new Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific IFN-gamma release assays. However, their prognostic value for progression from latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to active TB has yet to be established.

Objectives: To compare the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay (QFT) with the tuberculin skin test (TST) in recently exposed close contacts of active TB cases with respect to their development of TB disease within 2 years.

Epidemiology of tuberculosis in Hamburg, Germany: long-term population-based analysis applying classical and molecular epidemiological techniques.

To determine a detailed picture of tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology in Hamburg, Germany, 423 Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from 77.0% of all patients with culture-confirmed TB diagnosed from 1997 to 1999 in Hamburg were analyzed by IS6110 DNA fingerprinting. IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) clusters were assumed to have arisen from recent transmission.