Mycobacteria Product Series of Hain Lifescience
Mycobacteria are germs which can cause human infectious diseases. Primarily lungs are infected, but the bacteria can also spread into other organs or parts of the body. Mycobacteria are subdivided into three groups: the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, the non-tuberculos mycobacteria called NTM or MOTT (Mycobacteria Other Than Tuberculosis) and Mycobacterium leprae.
The members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cause tuberculosis (TB), which is one of the world`s most common severe infectious diseases. With 9 million new cases each year TB is a significant problem both in the developing countries and to an increasing extent in the industrial nations. Approximately 2 million deaths per year are TB-related. A single patient with an active TB may infect 10 to 15 other people each year. In the fight to stop the spread of TB the most important milestones are:
- early diagnosis (for further information please click here),
- prevention of the spread of the disease,
- effective treatment with tuberculostatics,
- prevention of the development of drug resistance.
Thus, a quick and reliable identification of mycobacteria species and the early detection of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis strains are prerequisites to the effective treatment and confinement of the disease. An early diagnosis is essential, as multidrug-resistant strains, which are resistant to the most important drugs isozianid and rifampicin have been shown to increase rapidly. This trend has reached alarming proportions. The annual global MDR-TB burden is estimated at around 425.000 cases, or 5% of the global tuberculosis burden.
Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis emerges through mismanagement of MDR-TB treatment. XDR-TB is already spread throughout all regions of the world where in some countries more than 20% of all multi drug-resistant TB cases are XDR.
Due to the increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases and immunosuppressive treatments, there is also a continuous increase in non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections. Species differentiation is also of crucial importance for finding an appropriate treatment and for adequate antibiotics.
The Mycabacteria Product Series from Hain Lifescience offers you a rapid, easy and cost-efficient diagnostic system based on DNA•STRIP® and GenoQuick® technology.
