Contribution of XPERT MTB/RIF® in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Ziguinchor, Senegal

Introduction ─ Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is resistant to isoniazid and/or rifampicin. It is favored by poverty and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. This retrospective, descriptive study aimed to determine the contribution of Xpert MTB/RIF® in the diagnosis of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in a semi-urban environment at the Peace Hospital of Ziguinchor in Senegal during the period from April 2015 to August 2019.Methodology ─ The study is retrospective, descriptive and carried out in the laboratory of Ziguinchor Hospital de la Paix, in southern Senegal, from April 2015 to August 2019. All respiratory specimens were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen-stained smear microscopy and Xpert MTB/RIF® testing.Results ─ 180 samples, i.e. 6.4% were microscopy-negative but positive in Xpert MTB/RIF® testing. 32 patients (1%) are infected with rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis, against 29% of patients (798/2794) infected with susceptible strains.Conclusion ─ Tuberculosis is not longer a “disease of the past”. Having a high cost, Xpert MTB/RIF® testing must be associated with microscopy, which remains accessible in semi-urban areas and is easy to perform.