ABSTRACT
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 493 Clinical Importance of Mycobacteria spp. .................................................................................... 494
Mycobacterium tuberculosis .............................................................................................. 494 Anti-Tubercular Drug Resistance ............................................................................ 494
Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria ......................................................................................... 494 Clinically Signicant Species of Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria ................................................ 496 The Culture and Isolation of Mycobacteria from Clinical Specimens .......................................... 497
Specimen Selection ............................................................................................................. 497 Specimen Processing .......................................................................................................... 498 Specimen Staining .............................................................................................................. 499
Direct Testing of Specimens for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis using Molecular Methods .......... 499 Routine Culture Media and Automated Mycobacterial Culture Systems ..........................500
