New and improved diagnostics for detection of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis

Justin O'Grady, Markus Maeurer, Peter Mwaba, Nathan Kapata, Matthew Bates, Michael Hoelscher, Alimuddin Zumla

Research output: Contribution to journalLiterature reviewpeer-review

68 Citations (Scopus)
18 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In this review, we describe the phenotypic and genotypic methods currently available for the diagnosis of TB and drug-resistant forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and discuss future prospects for TB diagnostics. Current technologies for the detection of drug resistant M. tuberculosis vary greatly in terms of turnaround time, cost and complexity. Ultimately, the ‘holy grail’ diagnostic for TB must fulfil all technical specifications for a good point-of-care test, screen for drug resistance concurrently and be adaptable to the various health system levels and to countries with diverse economic status and TB burden.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)134-141
Number of pages8
JournalCurrent Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine
Volume17
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

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