High burden of subclinical TB in Africa revealed from a postmortem cohort.

A study examined the presence of tuberculosis in 94 adults who died from non-infectious causes and were not suspected of having tuberculosis. Researchers performed autopsies and tested lung and extrapulmonary tissues for Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Viable tuberculosis bacteria were confirmed in six individuals, representing a prevalence of 6.4 percent. These individuals had no recognized tuberculosis symptoms before death. The results demonstrate that asymptomatic tuberculosis infection can persist without detection by conventional clinical methods. The study suggests that in high-burden regions, a hidden reservoir of infection may exist, which has implications for tuberculosis elimination strategies.