AFB laboratory tests detect the bacteria in a person’s sample and help identify an infection tuberculosis (TB), caused by AFB. nlike the Ziehl-Neelsen Modified Acid-Fast Stain, this stain does not require the heating of reagents for staining.
This technique is useful for the identification of oocysts of the coccidian species, which may be difficult to detect with routine stains such as trichrome.
Positive AFB cultures identify the particular mycobacterium. A negative culture means that the person tested does not have an active AFB infection or that mycobacteria were not present in that particular sample