German multinational leader Qiagen has announced a partnership with the International Panel Physicians Association (IPPA) to support and educate panel physicians around the globe on the latest tuberculosis (TB) screening requirements. A special focus will be on the new Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) requirements and the associated benefits for patients and healthcare providers.

This collaboration follows the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updating its guidelines for new TB screening requirements for immigrants to the United States.

Together, Qiagen and IPPA are committed to promoting the use of IGRA testing, such as Qiagen’s QuantiFERON-TB Plus, to ensure a safe immigration process and support the global fight against TB.

IPPA is a US-based non-profit organisation of physicians who are authorszed to conduct immigration medical evaluations by governments of countries that receive migrants, including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The updated CDC guidelines now mandate that by October 1, 2024, all individuals aged above 2 years old from countries with a WHO-estimated TB incidence rate of more than 20 cases per 100,000 people will require an IGRA test as part of their US immigrant visa medical exam, expanding from the previous requirement covering only children age 2 to 14.