Low sensitivity of the MPT64 identification test to detect lineage 5 of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

Purpose: Differentiation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBc) from non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is important for tuberculosis diagnosis and is a prerequisite for reliable phenotypic drug-resistance testing. We evaluated the performance of the rapid MPT64 antigen identification test for the detection of Mycobacterium africanum lineage 5 (MAF L5).

Methodology: Smear-positive tuberculosis patients' sputa were included prospectively.