A New, Rapid, and Accurate Method for Identifying Mycobacterium kansasii Complex Species

03 04 2026

Researchers from the Department of Medical Microbiology –Paulina J. Wałpuska, Dr. Zofia Bakuła, Katarzyna Rastawicka, and Dr. Tomasz Jagielski – have developed a new method for identifying non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) belonging to the Mycobacterium kansasii complex (MKC). The study was published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum.

The number of infections caused by NTM is steadily increasing, and in Poland the MKC accounts for more than one-third of cases of mycobacteriosis. Since current diagnostic methods are expensive, time-consuming, and imprecise, we developed a rapid, single-step multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay. The new method uses carefully designed primers that enable discrimination of all seven species within the complex. Its performance was validated on a large collection of clinical and environmental isolates, achieving 98% sensitivity with no false-positive results for other mycobacterial species.

The developed assay is the first method worldwide to provide such a high level of accuracy while being faster and more cost-effective for the identification of MKC species.

As a result, this method has the potential for routine implementation in diagnostic laboratories and epidemiological studies, contributing to improved detection of MKC infections and better monitoring of the spread of these pathogens.

Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03267-25