Microorganisms that difficult to characterize using standard microbiological techniques because the cell wall has a high lipid

content of mycolic acids and long chain fatty acids, which causes them to bind and retain the complex basic dye carbolfuchsin even after strong decolorization with acidalcohol (thus acid-fast).

Partially acid fast organisms exhibit both acid fast and non acid fast bacilli and filaments in a single strain. Grow readily and rapidly on ordinary media, especially when glycerol is present. These organisms are non-pathogenic in the usual sense although large doses ordinarily produce abscesses and, sometimes, death of experimental animals.

Mycobacterium tuberculose,
Mycobacterium bovis,

Mycobacterium leprae,
Nocandia meningitidis, and

Nocandia gonorrhoeae.

Ziehl Neelson The reagents consists of a primary dye (carbol fuchsin), a decolorizer (acid alcohol) and a counter stain (methylene blue). IUATLD Scale (International Union Againts Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases) Negative : If there is no BTA. Positive : report for AFB seen = 1-9/100 fields. Positive 1 : report for AFB seen = 10 90/ 100 fields. Positive 2 : report for AFB seen = 1 9 / 1 fields. Positive 3 : report for AFB seen = > 10 BTA / 1 fields.

a rod-shaped bacterium characterized by acid-fastness. It is commonly transmitted via the air to the lungs, where it thrives, causing fever, cough, and hemoptysis (coughing up bloodtainted secretions) a pathogenic bacterial species and the causative agent of most cases of tuberculosis (TB)

Smear Microscopy: Examination of sputum for the detection of AFB