A sputum stain for Mycobacteria is a laboratory test performed on a sample of your sputum, or phlegm. It’s also known as an acid-fast bacillus (AFB) stain or a tuberculosis (TB) smear. A doctor typically orders the test to determine if a person has tuberculosis(TB) or another type of mycobacterial infection.
If you’re already taking medication for TB or another mycobacterial infection, your doctor might order the test to find out if your medication is working.
The sample type collected for Culture AFB, Sputum is: Sputum
- No special preparation required
Mycobacteria are a type of microorganism with nearly 100 known species. The most common type is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes TB. The general symptoms of TB include:
- coughing up blood or mucus
- a lack of appetite
- weight loss
- weakness
- fatigue
- a fever
- chills
- night sweats
Another fairly common type of this bacteria is Mycobacterium leprae, which causes leprosy. The symptoms of leprosy include:
- skin discoloration
- skin lesions
- skin nodules
- skin plaques
- thickened skin
- nasal congestion
- nosebleeds
Except for the two microorganisms that cause TB and leprosy, most Mycobacteria exist in the water and soil everywhere in the world. These are called nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).
NTM live in:
- city water
- bayous
- rivers
- hot tubs
- swimming pools
- yard soil
- food
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