Performance of QuantiFERON-TB testing in a tuberculosis outbreak at a primary school.
This study compared the effectiveness of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT) assay with the Mantoux tuberculin skin test to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in 29 children during a school outbreak of tuberculosis. Of the 21 children with M. tuberculosis infection, 11 had a radiograph suggestive of the infection. The QFT assay was positive in all 21 of the children, and the Mantoux test was negative at first testing in 2 children (1 of whom was the sentinel case). The findings demonstrate that the QFT test is extremely useful in accurately identifying infected and uninfected children, permitting rapid intervention.
Molicotti
Paola
P
Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy. molicott@uniss.it
Bua
Alessandra
A
Mela
Graziella
G
Olmeo
Paolina
P
Delogu
Renzo
R
Ortu
Silvia
S
Sechi
Leonardo Antonio
LA
Zanetti
Stefania
S
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis*; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011859:Radiography; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007371:Interferon-gamma