Principal Investigators: Katherina Kranzer and Norbert Heinrich
Site Principal Investigator: Dr. Theodora Mbunda
Other Investigators: Dr. Nyanda Elias Ntinginya, Dr. Issa Sabi, Dr. Christina Manyama, Dr. Alfred Mfinanga, Dr. Harieth Mwambola
Research Centre: NIMR -MMRC, Mbeya Tanzania.
Study Duration: 2020-2024
Background / Purpose
The ERASE-TB study is being conducted to fill a critical unmet need for tuberculosis (TB) control. People who encounter an infectious TB case may become infected, and, among those who are do, most will stay healthy. However, some will go on to develop TB and such people would benefit from preventive treatment which would also inhibit the spread of the disease.
Delayed diagnoses hampers tuberculosis (TB) control: globally, over four million TB cases remain undiagnosed each year. Bacterial burden and infectiousness are high, and lung damage is extensive in patients experiencing diagnostic delays.
The aim of this prospective multi-centre cohort study among household contacts (HHC), exposed to smear positive, infectious tuberculosis (TB) index cases is to evaluate new diagnostic tests and algorithms to diagnose TB before transmission occurs, earlier than current diagnostic approaches and to identify those most at risk for developing TB to allow targeted preventive treatment.
Clearly, earlier diagnosis is a prerequisite for successful TB control and ideally, individuals need to be diagnosed while TB is still incipient before becoming infectious. Preventive treatment of incipient TB could prevent long term morbidity, mortality, and onward transmission.
Approach
ERASE-TB will conduct a clinical cohort study among 2100 adolescent and adult household contacts (HHCs) exposed to smear positive, infectious TB in three HIV and TB high-burden Sub-Saharan African countries (Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe) to generate performance data on a number of new diagnostic assays, sampling strategies and testing algorithms to diagnose sub-clinical TB and accurately predict progression to disease with the aim of WHO endorsement and rapid in-country uptake and roll-out.
Funders
ERASE-TB is an EDCTP project funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement no. RIA2018D32508.
ERASE-TB Partners:
- Medical Centre of the University of Munich (LMU)
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
- Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) Zimbabwe
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Tanzania
- Instituto Nacional de Saude (INS) Mozambique
- Dept. of Clinical Science & Education, Karolinska Institute
Website: https://www.erase-tb.co.uk
Twitter: @EraseTb
