Unclassified · Medical Literature

[Articles] Comparison of phylogenetic metrics of transmission between symptomatic and asymptomatic tuberculosis in individuals who were incarcerated in Brazil in 2008–24: a retrospective genomic epidemiology study

Authors
Kesia Esther da Silva, Paulo César Pereira dos Santos, Daniel Henrique Tsuha, Katharine S Walter, Eunice Atsuko Totumi Cunha, Caroline Colijn, Ted Cohen, Roberto Dias de Oliveira, José Victor Bortolotto Bampi, Mariana G Croda, Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone Gonçalves, Luiz Henrique Ferraz Demarchi, Julio Croda, Jason R Andrews
Journal
The Lancet Microbe
Publication date
2026-06-11
Source
rss_lancet_mic
Original record ID
270269
Summary status
error
Analysis status
error
Original last updated
2026-08-17T08:00:08.000Z

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Abstract

We identified no differences in transmission between individuals who were symptomatic and those who were asymptomatic using multiple genomic measures. In this high-transmission setting, where systematic screening is implemented, our findings indicate that asymptomatic tuberculosis substantially contributes to tuberculosis transmission at the population level. These results suggest that symptom-based case detection alone is likely to be insufficient to interrupt transmission and highlight the importance of expanded screening strategies in high-risk populations.