[Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine] New Blood Test for TB Could Reduce the Spread of This Top Global Infectious Disease Killer

28 July 2026

Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) press release

A new study presented at the ADLM 2026 meeting found that a simple blood test could accurately identify TB among patients with varying degrees of exposure to the disease. If confirmed, these results could help save millions of lives and curtail a global health emergency.

The researchers evaluated a blood marker produced by the bacteria called 6-kDa early secreted antigenic target (ESAT-6). While ESAT-6 has been studied before, most sensors used to detect it have not been sensitive enough to distinguish active pulmonary TB from latent TB infection, TB exposure, or other lung diseases. The team used a new biosensor that overcame this limitation.

Read the full press release here.

Source: ADLM