Unveiling a hidden phenotype of early tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis remains a major global health threat. Global prevalence surveys show that almost 63% of people with bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis report no cough, and around 28% report no symptoms.1 As a result, there is growing interest in the role that asymptomatic disease plays in the tuberculosis epidemic. Although global tuberculosis control largely relies on passive case finding at health facilities to detect symptomatic tuberculosis, and are rightly expanding to include people who are asymptomatic, a subset of these individuals whose clinical management and epidemiological significance remains unclear will likely continue to be missed