Annual Screening for TB in High-Prevalence Communities Decreases Prevalence

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. To study the effectiveness of a community-wide active case-finding intervention in Vietnam, a high-prevalence country, investigators conducted a community-based cluster-randomized trial. In 60 intervention communities, all residents aged ≥15 underwent annual TB screening. In 60 control communities without the intervention, the population presented as usual to government clinics for testing when symptomatic. The intervention included annual census, a brief questionnaire about typical TB symptoms and smoking status, and a request for a sputum sample to be tested with Xpert MTB/RIF for TB regardless of symptoms. The primary outcome was the…