[Bacteriologic examination for tuberculosis in subjects from a group at risk].

Laboratory methods were used to test the samples taken from 55,068 people for M. tuberculosis. Inoculation of diagnostic material for M. tuberculosis was accompanied in a number of cases by a parallel method of luminescent microscopy for the same purpose. Methods of examining the patients with non-specific lung and genitourinary diseases were developed. They consist in a preliminary step-by-step selection of diagnostic material by means of luminescent microscopy and the use of these rapid techniques, like indicator strips, making it possible to examine a great number of population within a short period of time. The expenses of step-by-step laboratory examination of risk group subjects are 4.8 times lower than those incurred with routine methods of bacteriological screening.