A highly specific and sensitive fluorescent molecule can rapidly detect tuberculosis (TB) bacteria in sputum samples, according to work published this week in Nature Chemistry1. Scientists hope that it will soon lead to a quick and cheap diagnostic tool for the disease.
TB has a devastating effect. The disease killed almost 4,000 people per day in 2010, predominantly in the developing world. Although there are treatments available, diagnosis can take several weeks, during which time patients can transmit the infection to others. If a person with active TB goes untreated, the World Health Organization estimates that they will infect an average of 10 to 15 people a year.
To read the original article: A TB Test You Can Do at Home: Scientific American
