Tuberculosis
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Multicenter Study
Snapshot of Quantiferon TB gold testing in Northern Mexico.
Most people infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis have an asymptomatic condition named latent tuberculosis. These people do not have bacilli in the corporal secretions and are hard to diagnose by conventional laboratory tests. Diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in México is based on the tuberculin skin test (TST). ⋯ Our results show a significant difference between individuals in close contact with active TB patients (39.7%) compared to those without contact (3.2%), p < 0.01. The concordance between TST and QTB(®)-GIT was poor (κ = 0.31). Our preliminary results show that the QTB(®)-GIT has better capacity than TST to detect latent tuberculosis infection.
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This paper describes the development of a microscope array capable of imaging separate fields of view without the need for opto-mechanical scanning components. This microscope array can be integrated with array illuminating optics, a full frame digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera, and automated algorithms for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The entire array will fit within the area of a typical sputum smear. ⋯ A single prototype miniature objective of this design has been built, and images are presented demonstrating its imaging performance. Images are sufficiently high quality for diagnostic use. When fully integrated, this device has the potential to significantly improve performance compared to conventional microscopy systems and to enable more effective diagnosis of tuberculosis at the point of care.