Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease that usually affects the lungs, it is mainly caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mt). This infection is transmitted directly without contact, through coughing by micro-droplets of saliva. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB currently affects more than 9 million people worldwide and causes around 1.5 million deaths per year. Mt is an acid-fast bacillus, a characteristic conferred to the bacterium by the structure of its bacterial wall. Virulence factors avoid the destruction of bacteria and results in the development of latent tuberculosis with a risk of 5–10% for progression to active tuberculosis, this risk increases substantially in immunocompromised patients. Accurate diagnosis of TB must combine clinical and laboratory elements in order to confirm the clinical suspicion. Diagnostic laboratory techniques can be divided into microbiological tests (direct test seeking the bacteria) and indirect tests (seeking bacterial products or immune response generated for Mt). This chapter discusses the main features of Mt, as well as pulmonary tuberculosis and microbiological diagnosis of this pathogen.
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