Simultaneous detection and strain differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in paraffin wax embedded tissues and in stained microscopic preparations

Abstract

Simultaneous detection and strain differentiation of M. tuberculosis complex bacteria is possible in clinical samples prepared by current methods for microscopic and histopathological analysis, without the need to culture. The methodology described opens the way to rapid disclosure of outbreaks in high risk settings, such as hospitals and prisons, where dissemination of tuberculosis might be very fast as a result of a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infected patients.