Additional Information
Level of instruction: Basic to intermediate
Intended audience: This course is intended for microbiology bench technicians and technologists, supervisors, and administrators.
Author information: Cynthia B. Schofield, MPH, MT received her BS degree in Biology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and her Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics at San Diego State University, San Diego, California. Cynthia is retired with 25 years of supervisory experience in the clinical microbiology laboratory and has written for numerous publications, including ASCP, Advance, and MLO.
Reviewer information: Hallee Waye, BS, MLS (ASCP)CM, has over 7 years of experience as a medical laboratory scientist. She currently works as a clinical microbiologist and the clinical laboratory educator for the Parkview School of Medical Laboratory Science in Pueblo, CO. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Colorado State University and attended the Colorado Center for Medical Laboratory Science to obtain her professional certificate in medical laboratory science. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in clinical laboratory science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Reviewer information: Dr. Julie Ann West is certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and as a Specialist in Microbiology (SM). In addition, Dr. West has earned a PhD in Public Health - Infectious Disease Epidemiology - and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Dr. West is experienced as a Technical Specialist, Safety Officer, Educator, and Lead in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System, and has prior experience as an Administrative Laboratory Director.
Course description: In this course, the presentation of a brief history of tuberculosis (TB) and its developing resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs, is followed by case histories of TB resistance and subsequent challenges from regions of India, Italy, and the US-Mexican border. The pathogenesis of TB disease in humans is diagrammed and a review of diagnostic laboratory methods, susceptibility testing, and methods of control are explored.