Concurrent adult pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence survey using digital radiography and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra and child interferon-gamma release assay Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection survey in Karachi, Pakistan: a study protocol

Background: Assessment of the effectiveness of tuberculosis control strategies requires the periodic measurement of M. tuberculosis transmission in populations, which is notoriously difficult. One well-established method is to measure the prevalence of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis in the population which is then repeated at a second time point after a period of ‘intervention’, such as scale up of the Search-Treat-Prevent strategy of the Zero TB Cities initiative, allowing for a ‘before and after’ comparison. Protocol: The concurrent adult pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence survey (using digital radiography and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra) and child M. tuberculosis infection survey (using QuantiFERON-TB® Gold Plus) will primarily provide a baseline measure of the burden of adult infectious tuberculosis in Karachi and assess whether a large-scale interferon gamma release assay survey in children aged 2 to 4 years is feasible. The target population for the prevalence survey is comprised of a stratified random sample of all adults aged 15 years and above and all children aged 2 to 4 years resident in four districts in Karachi. The survey procedures and analyses to estimate pulmonary tuberculosis prevalence are based on the World Health Organization methodology for tuberculosis prevalence surveys. Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by the Interactive Research Development / The Indus Hospital Research Centre Research Ethics Committee in Karachi, Pakistan and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research Ethics Committee. Due to non-representative sampling in this setting, where a large proportion of the population are illiterate and are reluctant to provide fingerprints due to concerns about personal security, verbal informed consent will be obtained from each eligible participant or guardian. Results will be submitted to international peer-reviewed journals, presented at international conferences and shared with participating communities and with the Provincial and National TB programme.