Questioning the Epidemiology of Asymptomatic Tuberculosis
TB QUEST aims to provide evidence of effective Mtb transmission from asymptomatic
tuberculosis cases to their close contacts.
Get to know our work:
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Current TB control strategies focus largely on the binary paradigm of TB, which tackle Mtb infection and the symptomatic stages of the disease as the major drivers of the TB epidemic. National TB prevalence surveys have shown that approximately 50% of cases in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis is isolated from sputum but do not report having symptoms. Asymptomatic TB may also play an important role in TB transmission. However, no field study has demonstrated direct transmission from a subclinical TB case to a confirmed secondary case.
TB-QUEST is an ERC-funded epidemiological field study that aims to provide direct evidence of effective transmission from asymptomatic TB cases to their close contacts using advanced genomic methods, and to better characterize the asymptomatic stage of TB within the natural history of disease.
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PARTNERS
STUDY TEAM
Dr. Alberto
Garcia-Basteiro
ISGlobal
Study coordinator,
Scientific lead
Joannna
Ehrlich
ISGlobal
Research Fellow
Dr. Amuly
Chilopola
CISM
Co-investigator
Katia
Magul
CISM
Project Manager
Shilzia
Munguambe
CISM
Laboratory technician
Catarina
Bazima
CISM
Laboratory Technician
Dr. Iñaki
Comas
CSIC
Co-investigator
Carlos
Chacoor
ISGlobal
Co-investigator
SCIENTIFIC
ADVISORY BOARD
FRANK COBELENS
Amsterdam Institute
for Global Health and
Development
(AIGHD)
GRANT THERON
Stellenbosch
University
JASON ANDREWS
Stanford University
LEO MARTINEZ
Boston University
DAVID DOWDY
Johns Hopkins
Check out our consensus glossary to unify TB vocabulary. Tuberculosis terminology must be adaptable so that it remains relevant despite the changing landscapre of knowledge and with the constant revision and evolution of TB concepts.
NEWS
Read our recent piece on the TB QUEST team’s current work: “Asymptomatic Tuberculosis: A Key Challenge in Disease Transmission”
Over the past decade, global efforts against tuberculosis have delivered meaningful advances, including expanded access to rapid molecular diagnostics, shorter and more effective treatment regimens, especially for drug resistant tuberculosis, and strengthened political and scientific commitment. These advances have improved case detection, treatment outcomes, and preventive therapy coverage, reinforcing tuberculosis as a central priority in global health. However, persistent knowledge and funding gaps continue to limit the impact and coverage of these public health interventions.
Learn more about asymptomatic tuberculosis in our recently published article: “Unveiling a Hidden Phenotype of Early Tuberculosis”
This article reveals that many people with early tuberculosis have no symptoms yet may still spread the disease, showing that current symptom-based screening misses a large hidden group and why redefining how we detect and manage TB is crucial.
