Unmasking the Silent Spread: Screening Asymptomatic Tuberculosis in Household Contacts in South Africa

Highlight

• Over 80% of microbiologically confirmed tuberculosis cases in household contacts were asymptomatic.
• Chest radiograph screening missed more than 40% of asymptomatic tuberculosis cases.
• Conventional symptom-based and radiological screening likely underestimate tuberculosis prevalence in endemic settings.
• C-reactive protein failed to differentiate asymptomatic tuberculosis from healthy contacts, limiting its utility as a screening biomarker.

Study Background