A faster, cheaper way to diagnose TB
Date: 18.8.2011
Researchers have discovered a faster, cheaper method for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). A major barrier in TB prevention, especially in developing countries, is that diagnosis is slow and costly. Dr Olivier Braissant and his colleagues have developed a method which could potentially decrease the time taken to make a diagnosis. Their method is also cheaper than the current fastest methods. This research has been published today in the Society for Applied Microbiology's Journal of Applied Microbiology.
Dr Braissant and his colleagues used a microcalorimeter to detect the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This method proved to be faster than growing the bacteria in the lab and as fast as other more expensive methods (between 5.5 and 12.5 days).
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