Exploring the Genetic Landscape of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Unlocking the Differences in Between Latent and Active Tuberculosis.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), can enter a dormant phase within host tissues, complicating treatment and highlighting the need to investigate the genetic changes associated with dormancy.

Methods: This study examined clinical isolates of MTB, representing a range of susceptibility profiles and standard reference laboratory strains, i.e.

Rapid Detection of M. tuberculosis and Its Resistance to Rifampicin and Isoniazid with the mfloDx™ MDR-TB test.

Background: Rapid detection of tuberculosis (TB) and its resistance are essential for the prompt initiation of correct drug therapy and for stopping the spread of drug-resistant TB. There is an urgent need for increased use of rapid diagnostic tests to control the threat of increased TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

Methods: EMPE Diagnostics has developed a multiplex molecular diagnostic platform called mfloDx™ by combining nucleotide-specific padlock probe-dependent rolling circle amplification with sensitive lateral flow biosensors, providing visual signals, similar to a COVID-19 test.

Novel and reported compensatory mutations in genes found in drug resistant tuberculosis outbreaks.

Background: Rifampicin (RIF) is a key first-line drug used to treat tuberculosis, a primarily pulmonary disease caused by . RIF resistance is caused by mutations in , at the cost of slower growth and reduced transcription efficiency. Antibiotic resistance to RIF is prevalent despite this fitness cost.

Acquired drug resistance during the turnaround time for drug susceptibility testing impacts outcome of tuberculosis.

Background: The impacts of acquired resistance to first-line drugs other than rifampicin during turnaround time (TAT) for drug susceptibility testing (DST) on tuberculosis (TB) treatment are unclear.

Method: We performed a prospective cohort study to test acquired resistance to isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide during TAT for DST as risk factors for prolonged time to sputum culture conversion (SCC) and treatment failure in China. Participants included had a baseline DST result for a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolate collected at TB diagnosis and a follow-up DST result for a Mtb isolate collected upon baseline DST results availability.

Pyrazinamide-resistant Tuberculosis Obscured From Common Targeted Molecular Diagnostics.

Here, we describe a clinical case of pyrazinamide-resistant (PZA-R) tuberculosis (TB) reported as PZA-susceptible (PZA-S) by common molecular diagnostics. Phenotypic susceptibility testing (pDST) indicated PZA-R TB. Targeted Sanger sequencing reported wild-type PncA, indicating PZA-S TB.