IMPROVED COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF TESTING FOR TUBERCULOSIS AND MYCOBACTERIUM INFECTION

摘要

The present disclosure concerns methods, compositions and apparatus for detecting pathogens and/or molecular markers. In a particular embodiment, the pathogen to be detected may be Mycobacterium bovis or any other Mycobacterium species that causes tuberculosis in a mammal. However, the disclosed methods are not limited and virtually any type of pathogen and/or molecular marker may be screened and detected. Preferred embodiments comprise reflex supplemental testing using the same assay at approximately 100% sensitivity and the highest possible corresponding sensitivity - in one example 70%. Such assay conditions, used iteratively, result in elimination of 70% of uninfected subjects for each round of testing. Use of 4 or more rounds of testing results in less than 1% error. Since only positive samples are retested, the methods provide a rapid, inexpensive and highly accurate way to detect infected subjects.