ArticleBMJ global health2025
Using sputum and tongue swab specimens for in-home point-of-care targeted universal testing for tuberculosis of household contacts: an acceptability and feasibility analysis.
Article in BMJ global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- Centralized molecular testing of community-collected tongue swabs for tuberculosis screening among household contacts: a cross-sectional diagnostic performance, yield, and implementation study.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Closing gaps through innovation in the tuberculosis pathology value chain.Journal of clinical tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases · 2026Review
- Sputum scarcity and associated factors in people undergoing tuberculosis testing in South Africa, Uganda, India, and the Philippines: an analysis of cross-sectional observational data.EClinicalMedicine · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Yield of Tongue Swab- Compared to Sputum-Based Molecular Testing for Tuberculosis in Four High-Burden Countries.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026Article
- Tongue swab-based Targeted Universal Tuberculosis Testing in people living with HIV in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Development of a Rapid Automated Point-of-Care Test formedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Preferences for tongue swab versus sputum collection for TB testing: a multi-country survey.The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease · 2026Article
- In-home molecular testing of tongue swabs and sputum to inform household-level screening with diagnostic escalation strategies for tuberculosis contact investigation: a prospective cohort study in South Africa.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Tongue swabmedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Acceptability of tongue swabs for tuberculosis screening in migrant settings in northern Italy: A qualitative study.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- From gaps to progress: five-year global advances in the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Review
- Testing tongue swab samples by Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra: comparison of two protocols applied to samples from persons with low-bacillary load TB.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Global status of policies and practices for systematic TB screening in high-burden countries.IJTLD open · 2025Article
- Tongue Swab Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra Testing for Tuberculosis Using a Revised Consensus Protocol: A multi-country diagnostic accuracy study.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Oral washes and tongue swabs for Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra-based tuberculosis diagnosis in people with and without the ability to make sputum.Research square · 2025Article
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Abstract
introductionEffective strategies are essential for early tuberculosis (TB) detection. Reliance on passive case detection, symptom screening and collection of sputum results in delayed or undiagnosed TB, contributing to on-going TB transmission. This study assessed the acceptability of in-home targeted universal TB testing (TUTT) using GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra at point-of-care (POC) during household contact investigations (HCIs) and the feasibility of using sputum and tongue swab specimens.
methodsThe TB Home Study sought to evaluate the predictive value of different specimen types for use as a household-level triage test for TB. Household contacts of people with TB residing in the Buffalo City Metro Health District (Eastern Cape Province, South Africa) who received in-home POC TUTT through the TB Home Study were asked to complete a post-test acceptability survey. The survey assessed the level of comfort, confidence in the test results and perceived appropriateness of in-home POC TUTT. A feasibility framework was used to assess the feasibility of using sputum and tongue swab specimens for testing.
resultsOf the 325 eligible household contacts, 281/325 (86.5%) provided consent. Of those contacts, 278/281 (98.9%) provided a tongue swab, and 50/281 (17.8%) could expectorate sputum. All specimens were successfully prepared for immediate in-home testing. Of the 172 tongue swab-based tests performed, 169 (98.3%) produced a valid result, whereas 47 of 49 (95.9%) sputum-based tests had a valid result. An immediate tongue swab-based test result was available for 274/278 (98.6%) clients compared with 47/49 (95.9%) sputum-based test results. The mean in-home POC TUTT acceptability score (5=highly acceptable) was 4.2/5 (SD=0.4).
conclusionIn-homePOC TUTT using sputum and tongue swab specimens was highly acceptable and feasible. Tongue swabs greatly increased the testing rates owing to the high sample collection yield. Combining sputum and tongue swabs for in-home POC testing offers a promising strategy to improve TB case detection and reduce diagnostic delays.
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