Patent ID: 6951733

Claim:
A method for testing drug susceptibility of a culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis , comprising: a. inoculating an agar medium with a sample containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis , wherein said agar medium comprises: i. an agar base suitable for growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; and ii. animal serum at a concentration of between about 8% and 12% of the final volume of the agar medium; iii. an amount of at least one drug; wherein said medium is at a pH of between about 6.0 to about 6.25; b. incubating said inoculated agar medium for a time sufficient to detect growth of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the presence of said at least one drug and in the absence of said at least one drug; and, c. measuring growth of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium as compared to growth of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium in the absence of said at least one drug, wherein a growth rate of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium containing said at least one drug that is less than a pre-established drug-resistance level for said at least one drug, when compared to the growth rate of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium in the absence of said at least one drug, indicates that said Mycobacterium tuberculosis is susceptible to said at least one drug.