mtb

The Xpert MTB/RIF is a cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for simultaneous rapid tuberculosis diagnosis and rapid antibiotic sensitivity test. It is an automated diagnostic test that can identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) DNA and resistance to rifampicin (RIF). It was co-developed by the laboratory of Professor David Alland at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Cepheid Inc. and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, with additional financial support from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In December 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the Xpert MTB/RIF for use in TB endemic countries. This followed 18 months of assessment of its field effectiveness in TB, MDR-TB and TB/HIV co-infection.
This test, and others that are likely to follow, could have the potential to improve the diagnosis of TB in those that are likely to be missed by traditional tests.The CDC said in 2015 that the Xpert MTB/RIF test was "revolutionizing tuberculosis (TB) control by contributing to the rapid diagnosis of TB disease and drug resistance. The test simultaneously detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and resistance to rifampin (RIF) in less than 2 hours. In comparison, standard cultures can take 2 to 6 weeks for MTBC to grow and conventional drug resistance tests can add 3 more weeks."

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