Tuberculosis surveillance for a world health crisis
Tuberculosis (TB) surveillance is a vital step toward eradicating a disease that is the second leading infectious disease killer worldwide, behind COVID-19.1 Caused by bacteria in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), which includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), TB is a treatable disease but multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis and a health security threat.1 Genomic-based TB surveillance can support public health officials in:
- Detecting Mtb and non-TB species
- Characterizing anti-TB drug resistance
- Tracking the path of transmission
- Monitoring the evolution of the mycobacterium and novel mutations that are resistant to existing and new forms of treatment
- The discriminatory power of next-generation sequencing (NGS) enabling outbreaks to be addressed with greater speed and confidence
Tuberculosis surveillance for a world health crisis
Tuberculosis (TB) surveillance is a vital step toward eradicating a disease that is the second leading infectious disease killer worldwide, behind COVID-19.1 Caused by bacteria in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), which includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), TB is a treatable disease but multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis and a health security threat.1 Genomic-based TB surveillance can support public health officials in:
- Detecting Mtb and non-TB species
- Characterizing anti-TB drug resistance
- Tracking the path of transmission
- Monitoring the evolution of the mycobacterium and novel mutations that are resistant to existing and new forms of treatment
- The discriminatory power of next-generation sequencing (NGS) enabling outbreaks to be addressed with greater speed and confidence
In Indonesia, a former patient turns his efforts toward helping others beat the second-leading infectious disease killer worldwide.
March 2024: World Health Organization (WHO) now recommends targeted NGS for drug-resistant tuberculosis detection
Key updates:
- Recommended use: The available evidence supports the use of targeted NGS for drug resistance detection in bacteriologically confirmed TB samples, and may be used on respiratory samples to detect resistance to rifampicin, isoniazid, fluoroquinolones, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.3
- Meets WHO performance criteria: Deeplex Myc-TB is the only evaluated product that meets the class-based performance criteria for all 10 anti-TB drugs assessed: rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, fluoroquinolones, bedaquiline, linezolid, clofazimine, amikacin and streptomycin.3
- Overall targeted NGS was found to be4:
- Accurate
- Cost-effective (context-dependent)
- Acceptable and implementable under routine conditions, despite inherent complexity
- Implementation resources: To support the implementation of targeted NGS for TB drug resistance detection, the WHO has published a new consolidated guideline3, accompanied by a WHO operational handbook5 and summarized guidance documents6.
Illumina and GenoScreen partner to expand access to genomic testing for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
Illumina and Genoscreen Deeplex Myc-TB Combo Kit: A comprehensive, culture-free solution to characterize TB drug resistance with fast results in less than 48 hours
Explore the benefits of Illumina and GenoScreen Deeplex Myc-TB Combo Kit in one glance.
Genomic analysis for detecting drug-resistant tuberculosis
Join the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and unlock the full potential of next-generation sequencing (NGS) with our educational eBook and infographic. Providing an overview of the disease and equipping you with cutting-edge techniques to fuel DR-TB research, enhance TB surveillance, and ultimately paving the way to eradicate this global threat.
New tuberculosis surveillance eBook
Infographic for key advantages
Webinar Series:
Implementing NGS: Country Insights on TB Testing Algorithm Integration
Implementing WHO recommendations* for targeted NGS in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) can seem like a complex journey. Looking for clarity and a clear path forward?
This six-part webinar series provides a practical roadmap and real-world guidance by showcasing the implementation journeys of pioneering national TB programs integrating targeted NGS into their TB testing algorithms. Through the experiences of pioneering national programs in Indonesia (pilot), Namibia, Eswatini and Kyrgyzstan (integration), South Africa (scale), and Mexico (embed), you will explore the key phases of NGS implementation – from initial setup to sustainable use. Each focused 30-minute webinar delivers specific stories and lessons learned aligned with these implementation stages, offering a comprehensive understanding of the process and the tangible impact of tNGS on DR-TB control.
TB expert webinars and interviews
Advancing the fight against tuberculosis with NGS
Fighting drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa
Inside a Mumbai lab using genomics for TB surveillance
Seeking the source of bacterial drug resistance
References
- World Health Organization. (2022). Global Tuberculosis Report 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.who.int/teams/global-tuberculosis-programme/tb-reports/global-tuberculosis-report-2022
- Castro RAD, Borrell S, Gagneux S. The within-host evolution of antimicrobial resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2021 Aug 17;45(4) doi: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa071
- WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis. Module 3: diagnosis – rapid diagnostics for tuberculosis detection, third edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
- Use of targeted next-generation sequencing to detect drug-resistant tuberculosis: rapid communication, July 2023. Accessed May 17, 2024, from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240076372
- WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis. Module 3: diagnosis – rapid diagnostics for tuberculosis detection, third edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
- Information sheet: GenoScreen Deeplex Myc-TB test. Accessed May 17, 2024, from https://www.stoptb.org/file/18038/download
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