Scientists are reporting a major advance in diagnosing
tuberculosis. They say that a new test can accurately show in less
than two hours whether someone has TB and if it's resistant to the
main drug for treating it.
Testing now is slow and misses more than half of all cases.
Experts say that a better test can help curb TB in poor countries,
where most people spread the lung disease before they are diagnosed
and treated.
In the U.S., clinics could use it to diagnose a drug-resistant
strain on someone's first visit and start proper treatment right
away.
The test was developed by university researchers working with a
California company and a Swiss-based nonprofit group. The U.S.
government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation paid for the
work.