TB and children | Pediatric tuberculosis

Tuberculosis prevention in children

Children can get infected with tuberculosis (TB) bacteria (M. tuberculosis) and not have active disease. However once infected, children with vulnerable immune systems, such as the very young, HIV-infected or severely malnourished, are most at risk of progressing to active TB disease.

Even though TB is a preventable and curable disease, it continues to impact the lives and development of millions of children around the world. Children represent about 11% of all people with TB globally, with over 1.1 million children falling ill with it every year (1).

Can we protect children from TB?

Yes – latent TB infection (LTBI) testing and treatment can ensure TB disease prevention after exposure to the TB bacteria. Watch a webinar below with pediatric TB experts to understand how testing and treating pediatric LTBI can help prevent development of TB disease in children.

Podcast: Latest insights into pediatric tuberculosis

Join Dr. Danilo Buonsenso for a discussion of the latest developments in TB diagnostics. Dr. Buonsenso is a pediatrician at the Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health at the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, and this podcast is presented by the European Medical Journal.

Male boy with mask talking to a doctor, Pediatrics

Part 1: Why screen at-risk children for TB?

Part 2: What testing options are available?

Part 3: Why choose QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus?

Expert panel: Practical management of childhood TB

Ready to learn more? Join Dr. Danilo Buonsenso and pediatric TB expert Dr. Ann Loeffler (Pediatric TB Consultant Curry International Tuberculosis Center) as they discuss the role of LTBI testing in clinical and diagnostic TB management of children. They also present international recommendations and LTBI tests performances in the context of LTBI diagnosis.

Go to the webinar

Expert panel: Practical management of childhood TB

Choose a TB test you can trust for children

TB screening is strongly recommended in children and adolescents younger than 15 years who are close contacts of individuals with TB, and children younger than 10 years who are living with HIV. TST or IGRA can be used to test for TB infection (1).

QuantiFERON TB testing employs a simple blood test (IGRA) to aid in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In its Global Tuberculosis Report 2020, the WHO concludes that its previously endorsed QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) test is one of only two commercially available IGRAs that may be used for testing latent TB infection (2).

QFT-Plus is an accurate, convenient and cost-effective IGRA to screen children for TB infection.

Single patient visit
Unaffected by prior BCG vaccination
Innovative CD8 T cell technology

Reduce the risk of active TB among children with QFT-Plus

QFT-Plus is the modern alternative to the tuberculin skin test.

Find out more

References:

1. WHO. (2021) WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis. Module 5: Management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents.
2. World Health Organization. (2020) Global tuberculosis report.

For up-to-date licensing information and product-specific disclaimers, see the respective QIAGEN kit instructions for use or user operator manual. QIAGEN instructions for use and user manuals are available at www.qiagen.com or can be requested from QIAGEN Technical Services (or your local distributor).

Pediatrics