Tuberculosis (TB) is a major infectious disease caused by bacteria from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. It is primarily transmitted through the air and mainly affects the lungs. Despite the availability of effective treatments, TB remains a global public health challenge due to delayed diagnosis, asymptomatic forms, and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. A major issue lies in the rapid and reliable identification of cases in order to limit transmission and initiate appropriate treatment as early as possible, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Screening challenges

The diagnosis of tuberculosis has historically relied on microscopy and bacterial culture. However:

• Conventional methods may lack sensitivity, particularly in paucibacillary forms
• Turnaround times can be long
• Access to high-performance diagnostic tools remains limited in many resource-constrained settings
• The reference sample (sputum) cannot be obtained from all patients

In this context, real-time PCR technologies applied to non-invasive respiratory or non-respiratory samples represent a major advancement in improving the rapid and sensitive screening of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.