Differential identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from various clinical specimens from Sassoon General Hospital, Pune.

A total of 619 clinical specimens from cases of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis were processed by smear, culture and biochemical tests. Acid fast bacilli could be demonstrated in 93 samples (15.02%) by Z.N. staining method. Culture yielded positive growth in 95 samples (15.35%) M. tuberculosis human type was the most predominient pathogen obtained from 82 cultures (13.40%) M tuberculosis bovine type was isolated from 2 cases of ascitic fluids (0.32%). Atypical Mycobacteria were isolated from 11 samples (1.73%). 5 turned out to be M. scrofulacium, 4 were M. Kansasii, 1 was M. phlei and 1 was M. smegmatis.