In the Spotlight: The invisible fuel driving our TB epidemic
A recent article highlights a critical but often overlooked driver of South Africa’s tuberculosis (TB) epidemic: asymptomatic TB, these are individuals who carry active TB disease but show no symptoms.
Unlike typical TB cases, people with asymptomatic TB do not feel ill and therefore do not seek care. This means they are often missed by symptom-based screening programmes, allowing transmission to continue undetected. As a result, this “invisible” form of TB may be sustaining the epidemic in ways that current public health strategies do not fully address.
The article underscores significant knowledge gaps, including how common asymptomatic TB is, how infectious it may be, and how best to detect and treat it. Addressing these gaps is essential if South Africa is to meaningfully reduce TB incidence.
The piece features insights from Professor Tom Scriba, a full member of the IDM, whose work contributes to advancing our understanding of TB immunology and disease progression. His perspective reinforces the need for expanded screening approaches, improved diagnostics, and continued investment in TB research.
In Addition insights from Simon Mendelsohn, IDM Fellow, and Keertan Dheda, IDM Affiliate Member, reinforce the urgency of addressing these gaps. Their work highlights how symptom-based approaches alone are insufficient, and underscores the need for broader screening strategies and improved diagnostic tools.
As South Africa continues to battle one of the highest TB burdens globally, recognising and addressing asymptomatic TB will be key to strengthening control efforts and ultimately ending the epidemic.
Read the full article here: