Development of a Rapid Automated Point-of-Care Test for <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Detection from Tongue Swabs and Sputum Specimens on the DASH® Rapid PCR System

Tuberculosis (TB) is the single most deadly infectious disease with 1.23 million deaths in 2024. Near-point-of-care testing which can be deployed at peripheral settings that lack laboratory infrastructure to deliver prompt and accurate diagnosis is needed to start treatment earlier and thereby improve treatment outcomes. In this study, we have developed an automated test to detect <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (MTB), the cause of TB, from sputum and tongue swab specimens. Its high sensitivity and specificity, rapid time to result, and compatibility with environments that lack air conditioning and consistent electricity make this assay suitable for diverse clinical settings.