Preventive treatment for tuberculosis (TB) is crucial in halting the progression of latent TB infections to active, potentially fatal disease. Despite the treatability of TB infection, there’s no global consensus on which subgroups of exposed individuals should receive priority for preventive treatment. Factors such as age and confirmed infection status may influence the benefits of treatment. A recent study aims to shed light on this matter, focusing on the effectiveness of preventive treatment among different age groups and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection status.
The study, led by a researcher from the Boston University School of Public Health, underscores the importance of prioritizing TB treatment for individuals exposed to confirmed TB infection, regardless of age, in settings with low TB prevalence. However, in high-burden settings, preventive treatment should be considered for all exposed individuals, even without confirmed infection. This strategy aligns with global public health efforts to reduce TB mortality by 95% by 2035.
The research, encompassing a comprehensive review and analysis, identified new TB cases among close contacts of diagnosed individuals. The effectiveness of preventive treatment varied based on factors such as age, infection status, and TB burden in the environment. Among the participants, preventive TB treatment showed an overall effectiveness of 49%, with a particularly high efficacy of 80% among those with confirmed infection. Notably, the treatment was ineffective for most individuals without evidence of infection, except for children under 5 years old.
Conclusion
The study emphasizes the importance of targeted strategies that prioritize contacts with evidence of M. tuberculosis infection in low-burden environments, while advocating for a broad approach encompassing all contacts in high-burden settings. Preventive treatment demonstrated consistent efficacy across age groups, suggesting its viability for all exposed contacts. These findings underscore the critical role of preventive treatment in combating the global TB epidemic.
