Review article
Microbiological diagnostics of tuberculosis from Koch to "point-of-care" test
Vera Katalinić-Janković
; HZJZ, Odjel za tuberkulozu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Mihaela Obrovac
; HZJZ, Odjel za tuberkulozu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ljiljana Žmak
; HZJZ, Odjel za tuberkulozu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, one third of the world's population is infected with M. tuberculosis, making tuberculosis, the disease it causes, one of the most significant infectious diseases. Quick, accessible and reliable diagnostics is a key in breaking transmission chains and preventing infection. In the last 10 years, new molecular tests have considerably supported classical laboratory diagnostics that include microscopy, cultivation and drug susceptibility testing. In 2010, a revolutionary new test Xpert MTB/RIF was introduced. This closed system simultaneously detects M. tuberculosis and its resistance to rifampicin directly in clinical samples. Recently, there has been an increase in using IGRA tests (instead of skin test) to detect latent infection. The current focus of interest is the development of a rapid, reliable and inexpensive point-of-care test that could enable diagnosis of tuberculosis during the patient's first visit to the doctor.
Keywords
Tuberculosis; laboratory diagnostics; molecular tests; IGRA
Hrčak ID:
133422
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2013.
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