Recent advances in the diagnosis of tuberculosis an overview

ABSTRACT

New developments for the diagnosis of tuberculosis has progressed very slowly and is still dependent on old methods such as AFB smear or LJ medium. However, since 1980 a new liquid medium, depending on radiometric technology, was introduced which improved laboratory testing for TB and made it faster. Also, immunodiagnostic testing was developed which is inexpensive and easy to perform. Culture is still the gold standard for diagnosis of TB although molecular techniques are being used to directly detect bacteria in the specimen. Non-radiometric systems, such as MGIT and BACTEC MGIT 960, have been developed which are rapid and efficient. These are based on a sensor deposited on the bottom of a culture tube that becomes fluorescent if oxygen is depleted from the medium during growth of bacteria. Laboratory diagnosis of TB has thus been reduced from several weeks to several days using these new techniques