�Students attendance US
colleges that require tuberculosis (TB) testing volition now welfare from
interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) such as QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold
(QFT(TM)), with the release of update TB testing guidelines from the
American College Health Association (ACHA). In the past times, students would
have been tested with the tuberculin skin test (TST) which is known to
suffer from false-positive results due to cross-reactivity with BCG vaccine
and commonly encountered environmental non-tuberculous mycobacteria.
False-positive TST responses particularly infestation students from high TB
incidence countries as many of them are vaccinated with BCG at birth.
Reading a TST response is subjective and prominent discrepancies in
interpretation john occur between trained professionals. These limitations
of the TST tin now be overcome through use of QFT.
Studies have shown that QFT is more accurate than the TST as it is not
affected by BCG inoculation exposure to non-tuberculous mycobacterium.
Greater accuracy means universities have to spend less money and time
during the screening process. It streamlines the admission action and
provides easier test administration for both universities and students as
alone one medical consultation is required; results are objective and tin be
available within 24 hours. Most importantly, treatment is dispensed to
individuals truly septic with TB.
Each class US universities/colleges host about 500,000
international students. Many of these students come from high TB incidence
areas within Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Central and South America.
The ACHA guidelines build on those issued by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) which country that QFT "can be used in all
circumstances in which the TST is presently used" The ACHA recommends
screening all incoming students, but particularly targeting those at
increased risk for TB, which includes students from countries with a high
incidence of TB disease (greater than or equal to 20 cases / C,000
population). These students should be tested for latent TB infection (with
either QFT or the TST), to reduce the risk of developing active TB disease.
Additionally the ACHA guidelines recommend that health profession students,
whether incoming or continuing, should be tested annually.
QFT is organism used by a ontogeny number of US colleges and universities
including the University of Tennessee Health Science Center which published
the number one report of a college TB control program utilizing QFT (Vesser et
al 2007). The report showed that QFT can be successfully enforced and is
well recognized as an addition to a campus-wide TB surveillance program.
References
ACHA Guidelines-Tuberculosis Screening and Targeted Testing of College
and University Students.
Centers for Disease Control MMWR Dec 16 2005, Vol. 54, No. RR-15.
Veeser PI, Smith PK, Handy B, Martin SR.
Tuberculosis screening on a health scientific discipline campus: use of
QuantiFERON-TB Gold test for students and employees. J Am Coll Health 2007;
56:175-80.
About QuantiFERON(R)-TB Gold (QFT(TM)):
QFT -- a simple blood test -- is the first major advance in TB
diagnosis since the introduction of the tuberculin skin test (TST) over 100
days ago. The QFT test is based on mensuration of a cell-mediated immune
response in TB- infected individuals. The T-cells of these individuals are
hypersensitised to TB, and respond to stimulation with peptides simulating those
expressed by the TB causing bacteria, secreting a cytokine called
interferon-gamma. QFT accurately measures the interferon-gamma response in
a sensitive enzyme assay. QFT is unaffected by previous BCG vaccination and
most other mycobacteria. Unlike the TST, it requires only one patient
jaw, is a controlled research lab test, and provides an objective,
consistent result that is non subject to interpretation based on a
patient's congener risk factors for TB exposure.
To find a laboratory that provides QFT testing, visit
http://www.quantiferon.com
About Cellestis:
Cellestis is a listed Australian ergonomics company commercializing
QuantiFERON technology for diagnosing TB and other diseases worldwide. The
Company operates through subsidiaries in the USA, Europe and Australia.
For more than information, visit http://www.cellestis.com or please contact i of our
local spokespersons at:
Cellestis Limited
http://www.cellestis.com
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