Rapid and efficient detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory and non-respiratory samples.

The detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a new commercial real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (Xpert™ MTB/RIF) was evaluated on 91 respiratory and 89 non-respiratory samples recovered from 132 patients suspected of tuberculosis (TB). Overall, 31 (17.2%) of the 180 samples, including 17 respiratory and 14 non-respiratory (respectively 17 and 12 PCR-positive), yielded M.