While more than 90% of the 2 billion TB cases worldwide are latent—symptom-free and not contagious—the weakening of the immune system in those with HIV can allow latent TB to turn active, increasing the potential for new infections to spread and often resulting in fatal outcomes. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among those with HIV worldwide.

Now, Tulane University researchers have developed a new handheld TB test that significantly improves detection in people with HIV, according to a new study in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Powered by a beetle-inspired chemical reaction, the device requires no electricity and addresses a critical gap in TB infection detection that has long hobbled efforts to eliminate the world’s deadliest infectious disease.