Contact: prof Bouke De Jong
bdejong@itg.be
32-324-76590
Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp

How to Recognize Resistant Tuberculosis?

Caption: The fluorescent lines are living tuberculosis bacilli, on a background of cellular debris from human sputum. Scientists of the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine gave a new application to a forgotten technique: Fluorescein diacetate staining, which only stains living tuberculosis bacilli (and not dead ones). This way they can see immediately after treatment if resistant bacilli survived. This simple technique can replace classical microscopy, now the standard procedure in developing countries, which cannot make this distinction. (Multi)resistant tuberculosis is becoming a threat to world health. © ITG

Credit: © Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp

Usage Restrictions: None

Related news release: New approach of resistant tuberculosis