WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: module 3: diagnosis: tests for TB infection

Overview

The “WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis. Module 3: Diagnosis – Tests for tuberculosis infection” is a new consolidated policy guideline on tests for TB infection. The policy includes, for the first-time recommendations on a new class of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-based skin tests (TBSTs) and consolidates all currently existing recommendations for the diagnosis of TB infection, including the traditional tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs). IGRAs and TBSTs use Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex specific antigens and represent a significant advancement to TST which has been used for over half a century.

The consolidated guideline provides background, justification, recommendations and implementation considerations on the WHO recommended TB infection tests. This document is accompanied by the “WHO operational handbook on tuberculosis. Module 3: Diagnosis - Tests for tuberculosis infection”, which provides laboratory personnel, clinicians as well as ministries of health and technical partners detailed guidance on how to implement the WHO evidence-based recommendations on TB infection tests. The document describes the WHO recommended tests, test procedures, a model algorithm, and the steps required to scale-up TB infection testing.