Silent spread: Tuberculosis burden and care pathway delays among migrant and asylum-seeking children and adolescents in Scotland - Takeaways - MDSpire
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Undetected Transmission: The Impact of Tuberculosis on Migrant and Asylum-Seeking Youth in Scotland and Associated Delays in Care Pathways

  • By

  • Sandra Lucas

  • Linsey Montgomery

  • Nicholas Sculthorpe

  • William Mackay

  • Lorna McKay

  • August 24, 2026

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  • 1

    Tuberculosis (TB) re-emerged as the leading infectious cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 10.8 million cases and 1.25 million deaths in 2023.

  • 2

    TB risk among migrant and asylum-seeking youth may reflect premigration exposures, migration journeys, transit conditions, and barriers to healthcare after arrival.

  • 3

    Scotland has a low TB incidence of approximately 7–8 cases per 100,000 people annually, but targeted screening is not consistently implemented across settings.

  • 4

    Of 117 participants screened, 13 (11.1%) had latent TB infection and 2 (1.7%) had active TB; treatment was initiated in 14 of 15 cases.

  • 5

    Cases occurred among participants from both high- and lower-incidence countries, suggesting that country of origin alone may not fully capture TB risk.

Original Source(s)

Silent spread: Tuberculosis burden and care pathway delays among migrant and asylum-seeking children and adolescents in Scotland

  • by Sandra Lucas, Linsey Montgomery, Nicholas Sculthorpe, William Mackay, Lorna McKay

  • August 24, 2026

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