Recovery rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using five decontamination methods

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) cause d by Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains one of the leading infectious s^ase s in resource limited countries of the world. I n c ludin g Nigeria. For optimal care of patients with Pulmonary TB, effective decontamination methods a r e required for isolation and identification of M. [Reticulosis from other fast growing organisms found , n s putum samples of infected patients. Five methods sputum decontamination including the Pctroff, °*alic , bleach, simplified concentration and Kudoh Methods were assessed prior to mycobacterial culture. all, thirty human sputum samples were processed a r >d results analysed after eight weeks of incubation. Overall , there was a significant difference in the growt h yield using the different methods (Friedman lest statistic. QK = 36.3; P<0.()5). Again, a significant differenc e (Friedman test statistic, QK = 48.0; P<().()5) w a s observed between the valuable and non-valuable yiel d of mycobacteria. Furthermore, the simplified concentratio n method had the best performance in term s of pur e cultur e growth/minima l medi a contaminatio n coupled with a cost benefit ratio of 0.10 ; the bleach method being the least. Give n thes e findings, coupled with laboratory challenge s in developing countries as well as ease of u s e o n the field/cost effectiveness; we propose the simplifie d concentratio n a s an optima l decontaminatio n method for use in resource limited setting s where TB remains an endemic problem