The TB-EASY qPCR assay using tongue swabs offers a reliable, non-invasive diagnostic alternative for pulmonary TB, especially where sputum collection is challenging. Its potential for wider use in high TB burden settings warrants further validation in community-based studies. Limitations include potential overestimation of sensitivity due to the selection of symptomatic patients and the use of sputum Xpert rather than Xpert Ultra. Additionally, the performance in non-sputum-producing patients remains untested, and the cost-effectiveness should be further evaluated to assess the feasibility of its implementation.
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Wang et al. (2025) studied this question.
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