A single swab paves the way for simplified tuberculosis diagnosis

Led by researchers from Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University and the University of California, San Francisco (U.S.), an international team has evaluated a novel approach for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The method enables detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis without laboratory infrastructure, within a markedly shorter time frame than conventional diagnostics, and using a simple swab. The test demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy as well as feasibility for use by minimally trained personnel.