objective(s) isoniazid (inh) is one of the main first line drugs used in treatment of tuberculosis and development of resistance against this compound can result in serious problems in treatment procedures. resistance to inh is mediated mainly by mutation in katg gene that is coded for the catalase enzyme. the proportional method for detection of inh-resistance is time consuming due to the slow...

BACKGROUND Screening for tuberculosis (TB) disease aims to improve early TB case detection. The ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for people with TB and to reduce Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in the community through improved case detection, reduction in diagnostic delays and early treatment. Before screening programmes are recommended, evidence is needed of individual and/or comm...

BACKGROUND This study explored the effect of screening and treatment of refugees for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) before entrance to the United States as a strategy for reducing active tuberculosis (TB). The purpose of this study was to estimate the costs and benefits of LTBI screening and treatment in United States bound refugees prior to arrival. METHODS Costs were included for fore...

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that continues to cause considerable morbidity and mortality globally. Only 65% of patients worldwide are currently diagnosed. Contact investigation is a strategy that aims to increase case detection and reduce transmission of tuberculosis, yet there is little evidence to show its effectiveness. METHODS/DESIGN We will conduct a cluster randomiz...

BACKGROUND Congenital tuberculosis is a rare manifestation of tuberculosis. The diagnosis is often delayed, especially in preterm neonates because of the non-specific clinical presentation and the lack of awareness of maternal disease prior to pregnancy. CASE PRESENTATION We report a case of congenital tuberculosis in an infant born at 24 weeks of gestation to a mother who presented with unco...

The 5th CIHLMU Infectious Disease Symposium, Munich, Germany, March 12, 2016 brought together Tuberculosis Experts from developed and low middle-income countries to discuss the control of drug resistance Tuberculosis. The meeting featured 9 presentations: Tuberculosis history and current scenario, Tuberculosis and migration - current scenario in Germany, Mechanism of Tuberculosis resistance dev...

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common causes of death by an infectious agent,1 with an estimated nine million new cases appearing every year. About one-third of the world’s population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterial strain that causes the majority of cases. TB is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where widespread poverty and malnutrition r...

TRIAL DESIGN Cluster randomised controlled trial. OBJECTIVE To compare current practice for encouraging homeless people to be screened for tuberculosis on a mobile digital X-ray unit in London, UK, with the additional use of volunteer peer educators who have direct experience of tuberculosis, homelessness or both. PARTICIPANTS 46 hostels took part in the study, with a total of 2342 resident...

The introduction of mass radiography was an important event for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis after the Second World War, when the prevalence of disease was high and the accessibility of health services for the public was low. The detection rate was considerable and the method contributed the antituberculosis programmes a great deal; the quesl.ion of controlled design and follow-up of...

" …wealth and greatness are mere trinkets of frivolous utility. […] It is this deception which rouses and keeps in continual motion the industry of mankind. " Adam Smith List of papers This thesis is based on the following papers, which are referred to in the text by their Roman numerals: Improving structure-based virtual screening by multivariate analysis of scoring data. bias of scoring funct...