AFB Stool Test in Kathmandu

About this test

This test examines a stool sample under the microscope after a special acid-fast stain (most often the Ziehl-Neelsen method) to look for acid-fast bacilli — the family of organisms that includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the non-tuberculous mycobacteria. The thick, waxy coat of these bacteria holds onto the red stain even after an acid wash, which is what makes them stand out as slender pink rods against a blue background. In faeces, a positive result usually points towards abdominal or intestinal tuberculosis, swallowed sputum from pulmonary TB, or a mycobacterial gut infection. Doctors in Nepal, where TB remains common, order it when a patient has long-standing diarrhoea, unexplained weight loss, low-grade evening fevers, night sweats, abdominal pain or a doctor-detected abdominal mass, particularly in people with HIV or other reasons for weakened immunity, in whom disseminated and atypical mycobacterial disease is more likely. It is also useful when intestinal TB is suspected but the patient cannot easily produce sputum. The smear is a quick screening step rather than a final answer: it cannot tell tuberculous from non-tuberculous species, and a single negative smear does not rule out infection because the organisms are shed irregularly and in small numbers. For that reason it is interpreted alongside the clinical picture, imaging, and confirmatory tests such as mycobacterial culture or molecular assays like GeneXpert MTB/RIF, which also reveal drug resistance. Submitting fresh samples on more than one day improves the chance of detection.

Sample type

Stool (fresh)

Preparation

No fasting needed. Collect a fresh stool sample in the clean, leak-proof container we provide, avoiding contamination with urine or water from the toilet. Bring it to the lab within an hour or two of passing it; if there is a delay, keep it cool. Tell us if you are already taking anti-TB medicines, as these can affect results.

Turnaround time

Reports for AFB Stool are typically ready within: Next Day. Reports can be collected at the clinic during opening hours or shared via WhatsApp once they are ready.

Also known as

Other microbiology tests we run

These are routinely ordered alongside AFB Stool or as part of the same diagnostic workup.

How to book

WhatsApp is the fastest way — message us with the test name and your preferred time, and we'll confirm a slot the same day. You can also walk into the clinic at Rumba Chowk, Sanobharang any day between 7AM and 8PM, or fill in our online booking form.