Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents: Progress and Perseverance

Abstract

Although it is an ancient pathogen, tuberculosis (TB) remains a major infectious cause of death globally, transiently displaced by COVID-19 [...]

The burden of tuberculosis among adolescents and young adults in five Asian countries from 1990 to 2019

“…According to a mathematical modelling study, an estimated 239,000 children younger than 15 years died from TB worldwide in 2015, and more than 70% of those deaths occurred in the southeast Asia and Africa regions 18 . Although adolescents and young adults (10-24 years) with TB do transmit TB and have present diagnostic and treatment challenges 19 , to date, adolescents have not been addressed as a distinct population within TB control efforts, and we have scant knowledge of the burden and outcomes of TB in these age groups in Asian regions. Here, we carried out a comprehensive and systematic study to reveal the current burdens and trends in TB incidence and death in ve Asian countries.…”

Transmisión de la tuberculosis en niños y adolescentes

“…La tuberculosis es una enfermedad prevalente en las comunidades pobres y vulnerables, lo que contribuye a un mayor empobrecimiento y una mayor vulnerabilidad de esas poblaciones. 6 Es fundamental fortalecer las acciones que se llevan a cabo para proporcionar un tratamiento preventivo de la tuberculosis oportuno y eficaz a todos los contactos con riesgo de enfermar. Aportes como el presentado por Blumenfeld y su equipo, permiten, tal como concluye su artículo, obtener información para orientar estrategias.…”

“…Los principales desafíos para resolver esta situación incluyen reducir las oportunidades perdidas para la prevención de la tuberculosis, y aumentar la detección de la enfermedad en la población pediátrica. 6 Es crucial la búsqueda activa de casos, y el tratamiento preventivo (quimioprofilaxis) de quienes tienen riesgo de enfermar, ya que los niños con infección por M. tuberculosis podrían convertirse en futuros casos de tuberculosis. La efectividad del tratamiento preventivo de la tuberculosis para evitar el desarrollo de la enfermedad en niños y adolescentes con infección por tuberculosis se ha estimado en el 91 %.…”

Tuberculosis transmission among children and adolescents

“…Recommendations on the management of pediatric and adolescent contacts 3-5 are specific, stating that once tuberculosis disease has been ruled out, preventive treatment is indicated for atrisk groups: Tuberculosis is a prevalent disease among poor and vulnerable communities, which contributes to the greater impoverishment and vulnerability of these populations. 6 It is essential to strengthen the actions taken to provide timely and effective tuberculosis preventive management to all contacts at risk of developing the disease. Contributions such as the one provided by Blumenfeld and his team allow, as stated in their article, to obtain information to guide strategies.…”

“…Major challenges to address this situation include reducing missed opportunities for tuberculosis prevention and increasing tuberculosis detection in the pediatric population. 6 A c t i v e c a s e -f i n d i n g a n d p r e v e n t i v e treatment (chemoprophylaxis) of those at risk for tuberculosis is critical, as children with M. tuberculosis infection may become future cases of tuberculosis disease. The effectiveness of tuberculosis preventive management to avoid the development of tuberculosis disease in children and adolescents with tuberculosis infection has been estimated at 91%.…”