New York, Dec. 1, 2019 — The World Health Organization has set a goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. To achieve that goal, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American Thoracic Society is a founding member, is calling on governments, health advocates and non-government organizations on World AIDS Day to strengthen their response to AIDS and tuberculosis.

Higher daily doses of rifampin, a cornerstone of tuberculosis treatment, killed more TB bacteria in sputum cultures, and the higher doses did so without increasing the adverse effects of treatment, according to a randomized controlled trial published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

ATS 2017, WASHINGTON, DC ─ Directly observed therapy (DOT) for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) was associated with a 77 percent decrease in mortality in the United States, compared to self-administered therapy from 1993 to 2013, according to new research presented at the ATS 2017 International Conference.

A streamlined approach to TB diagnosis requiring a single sputum sample and providing rapid, accurate results to patients proved feasible in rural Uganda, according to research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

New research finds that the most commonly used test for tuberculosis fails to accurately diagnose TB in up to 50 percent of pregnant women who are HIV-positive. The research published early online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine is believed to be the first study to compare the accuracy of two TB tests -- the Quantiferon Gold In Tube® blood test and the more commonly used TST or tuberculin skin test -- in this population.