New TB test delivers accurate results without phlegm in under 30 minutes

4 articles · Updated · NPR · Apr 29

The newly developed tuberculosis test provides results in less than 30 minutes and does not require patients to produce phlegm samples.
This advancement addresses challenges of traditional TB tests, which can be slow and prone to false negatives or positives due to difficult sample collection.
Faster and more reliable diagnosis could improve TB detection rates and patient outcomes, especially in settings where collecting phlegm is challenging.

Millions are misdiagnosed with TB annually. Can these new rapid tests finally end the deadly guesswork?

A quarter of the world has latent TB. Can new blood tests finally tell us who is actually sick?

A positive test is revolutionary, but what if the clinic lacks the right drugs to treat the patient?

For millions of children, a phlegm sample is impossible. Is this new tongue-swab test the breakthrough they need?

With TB diagnostics finally modernizing, could a truly effective vaccine be the next major breakthrough?

Beyond the lab, what is the plan to deliver these cheap tests to the world's most remote clinics?