Southampton: Scientists say they are close to developing a blood test that could identify people who are unwittingly spreading tuberculosis (TB).
A group of researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK discovered biomarkers that are found in severely affected patients.
According to the World Health Organization, TB is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing more than 1 million people every year.
The research, conducted with experts from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and the University of Cayetano Heredia in Peru, used a new technique to identify six proteins that help diagnose TB.
If the test is successful, it could help diagnose 3 million cases (mostly in developing countries) that went undiagnosed last year, according to study lead author Dr. Hanah Schiff.
He said that TB remains a global problem because of insufficient testing to prevent the spread, which is slow and dependent on specialized equipment and labs.
According to Dr. Hanna Schiff, one-third of people who are infected with the virus are undiagnosed and remain infected.
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