Whole genome sequencing is a faster, cheaper and more effective way of diagnosing tuberculosis (TB), according to a new study published in the journal Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
Dr Louise Pankhurst of the University of Oxford and a team of worldwide collaborators including Public Health England (PHE) utilised DNA technology to diagnose cases of TB up to eight times faster than traditional methods.
While whole genome sequencing has been previously used in TB research studies, this is the first time the technology was applied in real world scenarios. The researchers at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital were able to detect presence of TB and whether it was resistant to commonly used antibiotics within one week – up to eight times faster than utilising traditional diagnosis methods.
In addition to facilitating faster and more targeted treatment of people withTB, the speedy diagnosis also meant the scientists were able to detect and respond to potential outbreaks as they happen. The innovative technology also proved more cost effective, at an average cost of £481 per positive case, compared to £517 per case using current technologies.
The results of this trial have implications for TB prevention in the UK, with clinical adoption of the new technique by PHE expected to reduce transmission of TB.
It was funded by Department of Health and the Wellcome Trust through their joint Health Innovation Challenge Fund (HIC Fund) and supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance.
