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Tuberculosis testing

How contact investigations and QuantiFERON testing help contain TB outbreaks

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What are contact investigations in tuberculosis control?

Contact investigations are a cornerstone of tuberculosis (TB) control, aimed at identifying, testing and treating people who may have been exposed to an infectious TB case. When someone is diagnosed with TB, public health teams trace close contacts, such as family members, classmates, coworkers or other people in shared environments, to prevent further spread. Detecting TB infections quickly reduces community transmission and is essential for breaking the chain of TB infection and preventing TB transmission.

TB infection testing helps contain TB transmission events

Contact investigations: TB prevention in action

Contact investigations are the cornerstone of the US CDC and WHO TB control policies. Accurate, convenient testing is critical to successfully contain a TB transmission event.

TB contacts must be identified and prioritized according to their risk of infection. This requires:

  • Organizing and mobilizing staff

  • Locating, communicating with and educating contacts

  • Organizing and performing TB testing

  • Sharing test results and individualizing action plans

Why early detection matters in preventing TB outbreaks

Early detection is a powerful tool in preventing the spread of TB during an exposure event. Identifying TB infection among contacts before symptoms appear allows healthcare providers to intervene quickly, reducing the risk of further transmission. By finding and treating these cases during contact investigations, public health teams can stop outbreaks at their source, protecting both high-risk individuals and the broader community from preventable disease.

QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus: The modern tool for TB infection detection

In any TB investigation, rapid and accurate testing is essential to stopping the chain of transmission. QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus is the modern standard for detecting TB infection during contact investigations.

Explore what sets QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) apart as the world’s #1 TB blood test. Learn about its accuracy, cost-effectiveness and ability to streamline TB detection.
Unlike the century-old tuberculin skin test, QuantiFERON delivers accurate, objective results with just a single sample of blood. It minimizes false positives caused by prior BCG vaccination, provides insights into both CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses and is appropriate for testing adults and children of all ages. By offering reliable detection of TB infection, QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus empowers your contact investigation team to take swift, evidence-based action to stop TB transmission.

We’re here to support your contact investigation

If you want TB contact investigations support and would like more information, please fill out this form to get in contact with the QIAGEN Public Health Team.
References
  1. CDC. Updated guidelines for using Interferon Gamma Release Assays to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection — United States, 2010. MMWR 2010; 59, RR-5.
  2. WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis. Module 1: prevention – tuberculosis preventive treatment, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024 WHO.WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis. Module 1: prevention – tuberculosis preventative treatment. 2020.
  3. WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis. Module 3: diagnosis. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025.
  4. AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. Red Book (2018): Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases (31st Edition).