Role of GeneXpert or CBNAAT in Diagnosing Tuberculosis

About a quarter of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis (TB), with new infection occurring every second. The global burden, particularly with multidrug resistance, is also increasing simultaneously and has become a major health challenge. Earlier and improved case detection, including smear-negative disease, often associated with HIV co-infection, and expanded capacity to diagnose multidrug-resistant TB are global priorities for TB control. Conventional laboratory methods are slow and cumbersome. Hence, novel technologies for rapid detection are the focus of TB research and development. GeneXpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/ rifampicin (MTB/RIF) is one of them, currently unique in its simplification of molecular testing with amplification and detection based on real-time polymerase chain reaction. Xpert MTB/RIF detects MTB as well as RIF resistance directly from sputum within 2 h. This article focuses on the significance of new diagnostic test for TB.