India's Fight Against Tuberculosis: Gene-Xpert Revolutionizing TB Testing With Rapid Results

In comparison to previous solid sputum culture tests, which could take up to four weeks to produce results, Gene-Xpert provides tuberculosis test results in two hours.

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PGIMER Adopts Gene-Xpert for Rapid Tuberculosis Testing

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has adopted the Gene-Xpert test for rapid tuberculosis testing. The Gene-Xpert machine can test 16 samples in a single pass. In comparison to previous solid sputum culture tests, which could take up to four weeks to produce results, Gene-Xpert produces results in two hours.

In addition, samples for previously used culture tests were sent to other labs for testing, whereas the premier medical institute now independently performs up to 70 TB tests daily, providing patients with rapid diagnosis and treatment plans.

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Doctors Highlight the Efficacy of Gene-Xpert Technology in Detecting Tuberculosis

Dr Sunil Sethi, a professor at the Department of medical microbiology, PGIMER, said, “We had procured a machine that can test 16 cartridges at a time during the Covid-19 pandemic. The machine has now been repurposed for TB testing, which is being sponsored by the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. Gene-Xpert is a real-time molecular assay that can be used for various samples except for urine, blood and stool. Also, diagnosing extra-pulmonary TB can be challenging, as it is difficult to detect through culture tests. However, Gene-Xpert technology has proven to be highly sensitive in detecting extra-pulmonary TB.”

The central government had installed approximately 1,500 machines equipped with Gene-Xpert technology across the country, he said, adding that with the government's efforts to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025, the disease's incidence had decreased significantly.

“This is evidenced by the increase in the number of cases being detected through active case finding, with Chandigarh reporting a 70% rate. Additionally, the cure rate for TB in Chandigarh has been reported to be 85%,” Dr Sethi said.

While smoking was only considered a risk factor for the disease, he added that a TB patient should avoid smoking because it can worsen their condition and increase the risk of complications.

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Tuberculosis Prevention Therapy

Previously, Dr. Sethi stated, preventive therapy for tuberculosis was only given to children under the age of five. However, it is now being given to anyone who has come into contact with TB patients. To prevent the onset of the disease, the therapy is administered for three to six months.

Source-Medindia