About the Authors

Stephen D. Lawn

stevelawn@yahoo.co.uk

Affiliations The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, Clinical Research Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom

Sophie V. Brooks

Affiliation The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Katharina Kranzer

Affiliations The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, Clinical Research Unit, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom

Mark P. Nicol

Affiliations Division of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

Andrew Whitelaw

Affiliations Division of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

Monica Vogt

Affiliation The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Linda-Gail Bekker

Affiliation The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Robin Wood

Affiliations The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa

Competing Interests

The Academic Editor, Madhukar Pai, declares that he consults for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The BMGF supported the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), which was involved in the development of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. He also co-chairs the Stop TB Partnership's New Diagnostics Working Group that was involved in the WHO endorsement of the Xpert assay. The authors declare that the University of Cape Town (Mark Nicol as Principal Investigator) has received research funding from FIND to conduct research around the evaluation and impact of GeneXpert MTB/RIF technology. All other authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: SDL RW MPN. Performed the experiments: SDL MPN AW LGB MV. Analyzed the data: SDL SVB KK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: SDL LGB MV. Wrote the paper: SDL MPN AW RW. ICMJE criteria for authorship read and met: SDL SVB KK MPN AW MV LGB RW. Agree with the manuscript's results and conclusions: SDL SVB KK MPN AW MV LGB RW. Wrote the first draft of the paper: SDL. Enrolled patients: SDL. Responsible for research infrastructure making this study possible: LGB RW.