BACKGROUND In correctional settings tuberculosis is a public health concern. The incarcerated population is at greater risk for tuberculosis (TB) than the general population. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and associated risk factors in prison settings. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among prisoners of North ...

Cryptosporidium is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite infecting a wide range of hosts. The current study investigated the genetic profile of Cryptosporidium species in calves in Liverpool, England. Fifty-two calve fecal samples were collected from a farm and initially screened by Auramine phenol, modified Ziehl-Neelsen and ELISA. PCR analysis of 18S rRNA gene was carried out for the p...

The acute phase response (APR) is accompanied by major changes in micronutrient status. It is important to be able to quantitate the degree of APR, which can then be related to the accompanying alterations in micronutrient levels. A rapid and convenient means of achieving this, viz. the use of an animal model in which APR can be induced, would facilitate such an investigation. The aim of the pr...

We describe a simple multiplex allele-specific (MAS)-PCR assay to detect mutations in the second base of the katG gene codon 315, including AGC-->ACC and ACA (Ser-->Thr) substitutions that confer resistance to isoniazid (INH) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates. The 315 ACC allele is found in the majority of Inh(r) strains worldwide, especially in areas with a high incidence of tube...

BACKGROUND Light-emitting diode fluorescence microscopy (LED-FM) has been shown to be more sensitive than conventional bright field microscopy using Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain in detecting sputum smear positive tuberculosis in controlled laboratory conditions. In 2012, Auramine O staining based LED-FM replaced conventional ZN microscopy in 200 designated microscopy centres (DMC) of medical colleg...

In this paper, we proposed an interdigitated capacitor (IDC)-based glucose biosensor to measure different concentrations of glucose from 1 μM to 1 M. We studied four different types of solvatochromic dyes: Auramine O, Nile red, Rhodamine B, and Reichardt's dye (R-dye). These dyes were individually incorporated into a polymer [polyvinyl chloride (PVC)] and N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC) solution t...

Screening for tuberculosis (TB) in low- and middle-income countries is centered on the microscope. We present methods for the automated identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in images of Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stained sputum smears obtained using a bright-field microscope. We segment candidate bacillus objects using a combination of two-class pixel classifiers. The algorithm produces results...

Light-emitting diode (LED) microscopy has recently been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, it is unclear whether LED is as accurate and cost-effective as Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) microscopy or mercury vapour fluorescence microscopy (MVFM) in tuberculosis (TB)-HIV-co-infected subjects. Direct and concentrated sputum smears from TB suspects were evaluated using combinations of LE...

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is currently the world's leading cause of adult death from a single infectious disease. Sputum examination remains the cornerstone of diagnosis in epidemic situations. Automated identification of tubercle bacilli on sputum specimens would have many benefits. Objective: To use an automated method to detect tubercle bacilli in sputum specimens. Study Design: Using fl...

Due to increasing numbers of patients with documented infections with Cryptosporidium and other coccidia, it is important for the physician and clinical laboratory to be aware of the appropriate diagnostic techniques necessary for organism recovery and identification. Although Cryptosporidium is found in the gastrointestinal tract, tissue biopsies may be insufficient for organism recovery; the ...