Cronin W, Rodriguez E, Valway S, Bur S, Hooper N, Smithwick R, Butler W R, Dwyer D
Division of Tuberculosis Control, Epidemiology and Disease Control Program, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore 21201, USA.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1998 May;19(5):345-7. doi: 10.1086/647827.
A 10-fold increase in patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis-positive specimens in one hospital laboratory prompted an investigation. Clinical and epidemiological data, along with M tuberculosis DNA fingerprinting results, indicated that laboratory contamination led to nine false-positive M tuberculosis cultures. Pseudo-infection should be considered in patients with unusual tuberculosis presentations, negative acid-fast bacilli smears, and only one positive culture with a low colony count.
