title: Recent advances in laboratory procedures for pathogenic mycobacteria.
abstract: Just as tuberculosis has persisted for many centuries as one of most serious and deadly infectious diseases in many parts of the world, so has the motivation to develop improved laboratory methods for characterizing M. tuberculosis isolates. Modern technology has lead to great improvements in mycobacteriology laboratory procedures, particularly in detection, identification, epidemiologic strain typing, and drug susceptibility testing. Although the usefulness of some of these newer methods is under evaluation, many already are showing potential as adjuncts to clinical diagnostic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis/Mycobacteriology Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mail Stop F08, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. rcc1@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Cooksey
mesh_terms: D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*