Comparison Between Genexpert And Lowenstein-Jensen Medium In Diagnosis Of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common infectious disease worldwide caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).In the global TB report [2014], WHO reported that in 2013, nine million people developed TB. At the same time, global burden of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) was estimated to be 480,000 cases leading to estimated 210,000 deaths. The rapid detection of M. tuberculosis in infected patients is essential for disease management .During the past few years, molecular methods have been developed to identify drug resistance causing gene mutations (WHO, 2014). Early diagnosis is imperative for early patient management and successful patient outcomes. False-negative results and misdiagnosis of TB suspects are common in developing nations, as most TB control programmes use Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) smear microscopy, which has poor sensitivity and multiple visits are required