Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting

Abstract Recent studies using sensitive aerosol sampling and detection methodologies, have enumerated aerosolized Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) across a spectrum of tuberculosis states in a high-burdened setting. To estimate the Mtb exposure rate we used a Bayesian inference approach to fit a rev...

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Main Authors: Benjamin Patterson, Sabine Hermans, Robin Wood, Frank Cobelens
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81558-w
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author Benjamin Patterson
Sabine Hermans
Robin Wood
Frank Cobelens
author_facet Benjamin Patterson
Sabine Hermans
Robin Wood
Frank Cobelens
author_sort Benjamin Patterson
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Recent studies using sensitive aerosol sampling and detection methodologies, have enumerated aerosolized Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) across a spectrum of tuberculosis states in a high-burdened setting. To estimate the Mtb exposure rate we used a Bayesian inference approach to fit a reversible catalytic model to age-specific, respiratory bioaerosol Mtb prevalence data. Longitudinal monitoring of symptomatic sputum-negative, untreated clinic attendees informed a prior for the Mtb bioaerosol clearance rate. Based on an observed bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence of 62.6% and a clearance half-life of 83 days, the estimated exposure rate was 5.1/year. This result was extremely sensitive to bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence but including a simulated rate of exposure of zero until the age of 10-years did not influence the overall estimate for rate of exposure. A catalytic model without reversion was a poorer fit to the prevalence data than the primary reverse catalytic model. Mtb bioaerosol sampling findings imply an extremely high rate of Mtb exposure within tuberculosis endemic communities with rapid cycling between bioaerosol carriage and clearance. Even assuming a much lower bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence, the estimated exposure rate is an order of magnitude greater than published annual rates of Mtb infection.
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spelling doaj-art-5d817983cc024e75af1c963d40d0bc802025-08-20T04:01:24ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-011511710.1038/s41598-024-81558-wQuantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened settingBenjamin Patterson0Sabine Hermans1Robin Wood2Frank Cobelens3Department of Global Health and Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam UMC Location University of AmsterdamDepartment of Global Health and Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam UMC Location University of AmsterdamInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape TownDepartment of Global Health and Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam UMC Location University of AmsterdamAbstract Recent studies using sensitive aerosol sampling and detection methodologies, have enumerated aerosolized Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) across a spectrum of tuberculosis states in a high-burdened setting. To estimate the Mtb exposure rate we used a Bayesian inference approach to fit a reversible catalytic model to age-specific, respiratory bioaerosol Mtb prevalence data. Longitudinal monitoring of symptomatic sputum-negative, untreated clinic attendees informed a prior for the Mtb bioaerosol clearance rate. Based on an observed bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence of 62.6% and a clearance half-life of 83 days, the estimated exposure rate was 5.1/year. This result was extremely sensitive to bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence but including a simulated rate of exposure of zero until the age of 10-years did not influence the overall estimate for rate of exposure. A catalytic model without reversion was a poorer fit to the prevalence data than the primary reverse catalytic model. Mtb bioaerosol sampling findings imply an extremely high rate of Mtb exposure within tuberculosis endemic communities with rapid cycling between bioaerosol carriage and clearance. Even assuming a much lower bioaerosol Mtb population prevalence, the estimated exposure rate is an order of magnitude greater than published annual rates of Mtb infection.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81558-w
spellingShingle Benjamin Patterson
Sabine Hermans
Robin Wood
Frank Cobelens
Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting
Scientific Reports
title Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting
title_full Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting
title_fullStr Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting
title_full_unstemmed Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting
title_short Quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high-burdened setting
title_sort quantification of tuberculosis exposure in a high burdened setting
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81558-w
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