Comparison of laboratory costs of rapid molecular tests and conventional diagnostics for detection of tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa

Table 2 Component costs for each tuberculosis diagnostic test

	Consumables cost per test, in $ (% of total) [uncertainty range]^†	Equipment cost per test, in $ (% of total) [ uncertainty range]^†	Labor * cost per test, in $ (% of total) [uncertainty range]^†	Overhead cost per test, in $ (% of total) [uncertainty range]^†	Total cost per test, in $ [uncertainty range]^†
Fluorescence smear microscopy	$0.36 (10%) [$0.27–$0.45]	$0.12 (4%) [$0.09–$0.48]	$2.18 (64%) [$1.64–$3.00]	$0.74 (22%) [$0.18–$0.93]	$3.40 [$2.19–$4.76]
Ziehl-Neelsen light smear microscopy	$0.34 (15%) [$0.26–$0.43]	$0.11 (5%) [$0.08–$0.45]	$1.05 (47%) [$0.88–$1.53]	$0.74 (33%) [$0.18–$0.93]	$2.25 [$1.40–$3.24]
MGIT culture	$8.05 (66%) [$6.04–$8.65]	$1.05 (9%) [$0.71–$4.74]	$2.17 (18%) [$2.05–$2.50]	$0.89 (7%) [$0.66–$1.11]	$12.16 [$9.46–$16.99]
Phenotypic DST using MGIT SIRE system	$16.22 (61%) [$12.16–$18.71]	$2.77 (10%) [$2.08–$13.42]	$4.15 (16%) [$3.41–$6.16]	$3.26 (12%) [$2.45–$4.07]	$26.39 [$20.10–$42.37]
MTBDR *plus*	$14.13 (60%)[$10.37–$17.24]	$1.60 (7%) [$4.17–$7.39]	$3.46 (15%) [$2.85–$5.13]	$4.28 (18%) [$3.21–$5.35]	$23.46[$20.61–$35.12]
Xpert MTB/RIF	$11.97 (80%) [$11.49–$19.47]	$0.93 (6%) [$0.70–$3.99]	$1.13 (8%) [$0.94–$4.30]	$0.90 (6%) [$0.22–$1.12]	$14.93 [$13.36–$28.88]

Abbreviations: MGIT Mycobacterial Growth Indicator 960 automated liquid culture system, DST Drug Susceptibility Testing using MGIT SIRE system.
*Average salary for laboratory technician was $9.07 per hour based on laboratory records. Range of wages from $7.43 to $16.16 were used for sensitivity analysis based on wages of different skill levels of laboratory workers.
^†Uncertainty range is based on lowest and highest estimates of consumable and equipment components along with range of laboratory volume of testing [e.g. batch size of Xpert testing was varied from 1 sample to 4 samples per run], along with range of salaries for laboratory technicians, and highest and lowest estimates for laboratory overhead.

ISSN: 1471-2334