Novel rapid PCR for the detection of Ile491Phe rpoB mutation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a rifampicin-resistance-conferring mutation undetected by commercial assays.

We propose that the detection of the rpoB Ile491Phe rpoB mutation should complement commercial assays for the diagnosis of rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis in routine conditions, particularly in countries where this specific mutation is frequent. The technique proposed in this paper is adapted for most reference laboratories.