Tuberculosis (TB) can affect the lungs and other parts of the body. Early and accurate testing is important when symptoms such as a persistent cough, fever, night sweats, chest pain, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss raise suspicion of TB. WHO recommends rapid diagnostic tests as initial testing for people with signs and symptoms of TB.
What Does TB Testing Include?
Depending on the symptoms and suspected site of infection, testing may involve sputum testing, rapid molecular tests, microscopy, culture, or testing of other clinical samples. Molecular tests can help detect TB bacteria and identify resistance to important anti-TB medicines, including rifampicin.
Why Is Drug-Resistance Testing Important?
Drug susceptibility testing (DST) helps determine whether TB bacteria are resistant to specific medicines. Identifying rifampicin-resistant TB, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and other forms of drug-resistant TB can help doctors select an appropriate treatment regimen rather than relying only on standard therapy. Testing may use rapid molecular methods, culture-based susceptibility testing, or genetic sequencing, depending on the clinical situation and available facilities.
Who May Need Testing?
TB evaluation may be recommended for people with persistent respiratory symptoms, abnormal chest imaging, previous TB treatment, known TB exposure, or factors that increase the risk of drug-resistant TB. The appropriate tests are selected by a healthcare professional based on symptoms, medical history, and examination findings.