Identifying Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria in TB-Negative Specimens using targeted next generation sequencing (tNGS)

This study explores a novel diagnostic approach to identify Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) using the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay's rpoB amplicon signals. In specimens that tested negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), we utilized targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) via the Genoscreen Deeplex Myc-TB kit on an Illumina MiniSeq platform to characterize the NTM species present. The goal of this research is to demonstrate how existing TB diagnostic infrastructure can be leveraged to improve the detection and identification of NTM in clinical settings.