Study Identifies Effective, Inexpensive Test for Tuberculosis in Children, Tulane University Study

Newswise — An international team of researchers comparing recently-developed methods for diagnosing tuberculosis in children in resource-poor countries has concluded that the best test for high-risk children is the microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility (MODS) technique using two gastric aspirate specimens from each child tested. MODS detects the presence of bacteria causing tuberculosis using microscopes to detect typical growth patterns in culture broth. The team, led by Dr. Richard Oberhelman, Professor of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, published results of the study online and in the August issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.