The Public Health Centre announced the transition to a modern method of TB diagnosis. Mantoux test will no longer be used from April 2026.
Refusal of the Mantoux test
From April 2026, the use of the Mantoux test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis will be cancelled in Ukraine. This was reported by the Public Health Centre.
The decision was made in favour of a more modern and accurate method - the gamma interferon release test.
New diagnostic method
The gamma interferon release test can detect TB with greater accuracy. The method involves a blood test rather than the injection of an allergen under the skin, as was the case with the Mantoux test.
According to the CDC, the new test will reduce the number of false-positive results and increase the efficiency of early detection of the disease.
Context.
The Mantoux test has been used in Ukraine for decades for mass screening of TB among children. The world is gradually switching to more modern diagnostic methods.
Ukraine is joining international practice by introducing the gamma interferon release test as the main tool for early detection of tuberculosis.
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