[Boston University] Understanding and Exploiting TB Superspreading

17 May 2026

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine news release

In a new perspective piece in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers examined both historical and contemporary evidence for Mycobacterium tuberculosis superspreading.

They argue it represents not only a critical challenge for global TB control, but also a potential opportunity for innovative prevention strategies.

The authors introduced the idea of “superspreading niches,” specific parts of community contact networks where highly infectious individuals intersect with highly susceptible contacts, as a key framework for understanding TB superspreading and designing new TB control interventions.

Read the full news release here.

Source: Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine