pattaspointsofscience

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest infectious diseases plaguing our global population, in 2023 it was the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent.

TB primarily impacts the lungs, therefore associated with coughing and weight loss, however it can spread to various parts of the body such as the bones. It is notoriously difficult to diagnose due to it having a latent stage, where there are no symptoms. But once it transgresses to its active stage, it is often fatal.

There are various forms of testing, the most common one being the TB skin test, however this is unable to detect the active form of TB, only latent.

The populations most impacted are from areas that lack adequate healthcare structures, therefore having limited testing strategies. One example being India, which has the largest absolute TB and multidrug resistance TB. Conveying the importance for a more accessible and affordable test that will bridge the healthcare gap.

PlusLife has developed a near point of care test with funding obtained from the Gates Foundation, this involves using a sample from a tongue swab. The accessibility of this swab is that it is non-invasive, cheap and delivers results within one hour. A multi-country study done from 2023-2024 revealed that it is a promising diagnostic tool, but that further research is needed. As it stands, it is unable to replace other forms of testing, but by being added to the array of ones available it will be particularly helpful for various groups of people, such as those unable to produce their own sputum.

However, since then PlusLife has upgraded tongue swab testing, with WHO endorsing the use of the MiniDock MTB in March, 2026. This is designed for low income rural countries as it is a portable device that can produce result within 30 minutes for only $4 per test.

Unfortunately, this device is unable to detect multidrug resistant TB, but PlusLife is fast tracking the development in order to create a product that can do so. If successful this will allow more and more people to get the testing and treatment they so desperately need.

While the above post is a brief overview of this new testing, I encourage my readers to do more research on TB, as it is not a disease that impacts the West as it does on any scale compared to various other countries.