Quest Diagnostics Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus - lab test quietly underpins US tuberculosis screening
06.07.2026 - 05:14:52 | ad-hoc-news.de
By Nora Whitfield, ad hoc news Bestsellers & Flagships Desk. Reviewed July 06, 2026, 3:25 AM ET. Details in the imprint.
Quest Diagnostics Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus is the kind of product you only notice when a phlebotomist snaps a tourniquet around your arm and fills the special tubes for a work visa or healthcare job screen. One small blood draw, no sputum jars, and the test result quietly decides who can start work.
What this TB test does
Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus is an interferon gamma release assay that detects immune reactivity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a single blood sample, offering an alternative to traditional skin tests for latent TB infection screening in adults and children.
Quest Diagnostics positions the test for use in occupational health, immigration medicine, and hospital intake, where clinicians want objective results without the need for a second visit to read a skin reaction. Dr. Mark Jones, a medical director overseeing infectious disease testing at Quest, has described IGRA-based screening as an operational backbone for many large employers because it simplifies compliance workflows.
Quest Diagnostics and its TB testing business
Learn how Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus and related services fit into the broader diagnostics portfolio and financial profile of Quest Diagnostics.
How the test works in practice
The lab process starts when the blood is collected in specialized Quantiferon tubes containing TB-specific antigens and controls, then transported under controlled temperature to a Quest laboratory, where technicians incubate the samples and measure interferon gamma levels via ELISA instrumentation.
Results are typically reported back to ordering physicians or employer health platforms within two to three business days, depending on logistics, with Quest offering electronic reporting integrations that allow occupational health teams to track who has cleared TB screening before onboarding. For someone sitting in a clinic waiting room, that workflow is invisible; they just feel the sting of the needle and later see a "negative" or "positive" flag in an online portal.
US availability and pricing
In the US market, Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus is offered both through physician-ordered testing and increasingly via consumer-initiated channels such as Quest's QuestHealth platform, where individuals can purchase the assay directly when required for volunteering or employment.
On QuestHealth, the test is typically listed at a cash price in the low hundreds of dollars, with promotions and insurance arrangements altering the final out-of-pocket cost, while corporate accounts negotiate volume-based pricing for employer and institutional screening programs focused on high-risk settings such as hospitals and shelters.
Clinical positioning vs. skin tests
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that TB blood tests like Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus are preferred for individuals who received Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, because they avoid false-positive results often seen with tuberculin skin tests in that population.
Occupational medicine specialists also value IGRA tests for reducing the need to bring workers back 48 to 72 hours later for a skin test reading, which improves completion rates and simplifies compliance tracking in large, mobile workforces such as traveling nurses or construction crews on healthcare projects.
Operational footprint at Quest Diagnostics
Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus runs across Quest Diagnostics' national network of high-throughput laboratories, integrating with automated sample handling lines and immunoassay analyzers to keep turn-around times predictable despite daily fluctuations in volume from employer campaigns and local public health initiatives.
In quarterly earnings presentations, Quest executives like CEO Jim Davis have highlighted infectious disease testing, including TB assays, as part of the "advanced diagnostics" mix that contributes recurring revenue from hospital and physician customers, beyond episodic demand spikes in respiratory panels or COVID testing.
Stock context for US investors
Quest Diagnostics operates as one of the largest independent diagnostic laboratory providers in the US, and Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus fits into its broader strategy of offering a comprehensive testing menu that attracts long-term contracts with health systems, insurers, and government agencies.
Shares of Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) trade in US dollars, and while no single test like Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus dominates revenue, the TB screening portfolio contributes to the recurring, contract-based income stream that many US retail investors value in diagnostics companies for its relative visibility compared to more cyclical businesses.
Key facts about Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus
- Product: Quantiferon-TB Gold Plus
- Manufacturer: Quest Diagnostics Inc.
- Category: Bestseller / flagship diagnostic test
- Launch: Commercially available in the US since mid-2010s, following regulatory clearances for IGRA-based TB screening.
- MSRP / Price: Typically listed in the low hundreds of US dollars for direct-access customers; negotiated rates vary for institutional contracts.
- Availability: Offered nationwide through Quest Diagnostics laboratories and via physician orders, employer programs, and QuestHealth direct-access testing.
- Target audience: Adults and children requiring TB screening for clinical care, employment, immigration, volunteering, or institutional compliance.
- Standout / USP: Blood-based latent TB infection screening with no need for a return visit to read a skin test, and reduced false positives in BCG-vaccinated individuals.
This article was AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information is provided without warranty; prices and availability may change at short notice. Not investment advice and not a buy or sell recommendation. Securities trading carries risks up to total loss.
