IGRA(INTERFERON GAMMA RELEASE ASSAY) TEST

The Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) is a blood test used to see whether a person has been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( the bacteria causing TB). The IGRA test works by measuring the body’s immune response to the TB bacteria. An IGRA test may be used to diagnose latent TB infection. It is not used to test for active TB disease. A negative IGRA means that you probably don’t have the TB bacteria in your body. A positive IGRA test means that at some point in time, you have probably been infected with the TB bacteria. This is called latent TB infection.