Work

Beyond diagnostic accuracy: defining the role of tongue swabs in decentralised tuberculosis screening

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In 2026, after almost a decade of research, WHO recommended tongue swabs for tuberculosis nucleic acid amplification testing in adults when sputum is unavailable, after noting decreased tongue swab sensitivity compared with sputum.1 This recommendation moved the central research question to whether tongue swab testing can meaningfully expand current tuberculosis screening strategies. Andrew Medina-Marino and colleagues, in their Article published in The Lancet Global Health, provide an important contribution to this discussion by evaluating in-home tuberculosis molecular testing.

Source: The Lancet Global Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.langlo.2026.104092

Authors: Shannon Bosman, Douglas Wilson

Institutions: University of the Witwatersrand, Witshealth Consortium (Pty) Ltd. (South Africa), University of KwaZulu-Natal

Language: English

Topic: Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology

Subfield: Infectious Diseases

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,680