The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently greenlit an expenditure of $240,000 to purchase a cutting-edge piece of medical equipment, the Diasorin Liaison XL. This machine, about the size of a golf cart, aims to significantly speed up the process of testing for various treatable diseases, including tuberculosis (TB), which has seen an uptick in cases locally.
This advanced diagnostic tool, noted for its automation features that slash staff hands-on time by an impressive 75 percent, is expected to ramp up TB testing efficiency when it arrives at the new County Public Health Lab, which is set to open in late spring 2025, according to San Diego County's news center. With the capability to test for chickenpox, shingles, measles, mumps, and rubella, the Diasorin Liaison XL represents a significant upgrade in the county’s disease-fighting arsenal.
Current methods to diagnose TB often rely on skin tests, but this new machine can test a person's blood, which can aid in detecting latent TB infections. "The biggest challenge in preventing TB is that many people are unaware they have it," Dr. Ankita Kadakia, MD, County interim public health officer, explained; "Latent or dormant TB can be easily treated, yet an estimated 85% of active TB cases come from untreated latent TB," which Kadakia conveyed in a statement obtained by the County's News Center.
The Diasorin Liaison XL’s expeditious testing is anticipated to uncover more cases of latent TB. This will enable more infected individuals to receive treatment and consequently reduce the spread of TB, which remains a significant public health concern. An estimated 175,000 people in San Diego County harbor latent TB infections. For further details on the machine and TB testing, San Diego County's Public Health Lab page offers more information on its website.
