The testing for drug –resistant forms of tuberculosis can now be done in matter of no time, say the researchers. At one time TB testing took 2-3 months, but now the researchers have come out with three new tests that are fast and can diagnose drug resistant
form of TB. This is amazing news as TB treatments will be done on time, and this can reduce the mortality rate in people, say researchers.
TB is a scary disease, categorized as lethal because according to the WHO figures, it has led to the deaths of almost 1.5 million people in 2013. TB is one of the main killers of people who have been diagnosed HIV +ve and early diagnose of the dreaded disease was eagerly awaited. Researchers have discovered three tests that can help diagnose drug resistant forms of Tuberculosis speedily and this is a great step in treating the infection.
Richard Garfein, professor University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in the US, the co-author of the study, has confirmed “Our study shows that TB testing that once took two to three months can now be done in as little as a day. This means we can put people on the right medications sooner, spare them the toxic effects of drugs that are ineffective and prevent the development of drug resistant forms of TB that can occur when the wrong medications are given,” stated the researcher emphatically.
The study sample consisted of 1128 subjects and the researchers carried out testing of mucus and saliva brought up from the lungs. Researchers targeted clinics in Moldova, India and South Africa and they administered three rapid tests on the study sample for finding out the strains of drug –resistant TB forms, they also used molecular methods to detect genetic mutations in antibiotic resistant Tuberculosis bacterial pathogen’s DNA. Then they carried out the standard culture technique for bacterial growth.
The Results obtained from rapid tests were measured and “compared to the reference standard technique for detecting resistance to seven of the most important anti-TB drugs” say the reports. The time the test took to give results was documented and the rapidity established.
