Canada "Mounts" the Case for QuantiFERON.

Get it? Canada - Mounts - Mounties? Oh well. I really wish I had Rogs ability to come up with witty and pithy headings.


Anyway, today Canada are holding their 7th Tuberculosis Conference in Alberta. (25th and 26th March). See here.


There are two very interesting presentations that will be made regarding the use of IGRAs for the diagnosis of TB in Canada.



Interferon Gamma Release Assays: What’s new & How are IGRAs changing our programs

This is a very positive presentation for the adoption of IGRAs (specifically QFT) in Canada. It seems from the presentation that Canada is a little behind the USA in its move to IGRA testing but the message of the presentation seems clear - they need to get their skates on.

Of particular interest are the results from Chan that I don't recall having seen previously. Basically it once again demonstrates the spectacular specificity of QFT compared to TST.

School Screening Program Review


This presentation examines the results of using QFT in the Alberta School District with a view to establishing the lack of specificity of the TST that is currently used for screening.