Pirquet’s skin test

Pirquet's skin test, developed by Austrian physician Clemens von Pirquet, is a method for diagnosing tuberculosis infection. The test involves scratching a small amount of tuberculin, a protein substance derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, into the skin's surface. A positive reaction, indicated by a red, raised area at the application site, suggests the presence of tuberculosis infection. This test helped reveal that a significant percentage of children were infected with tuberculosis by their teenage years. It's important to note that a positive result indicates prior exposure to the tuberculosis bacillus but not necessarily active disease.12