Blood Test Detects Tuberculosis Early, Potentially Saving Millions

Researchers presented a simple blood test at the ADLM 2026 conference in Anaheim, California that can accurately identify active pulmonary tuberculosis. The test measures the bacterial protein ESAT-6 in blood using a highly sensitive biosensor, distinguishing TB from latent infection and other lung diseases.

Lead author Dr. Sheng‑Wei Pan of Taipei Veterans General Hospital said the approach could allow treatment to begin sooner, reducing transmission and saving millions of lives, especially for patients who cannot produce sputum samples. The study evaluated 217 participants and found the ESAT-6 marker reliably separated TB cases from controls.