Capacity and Challenges of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Culture Services at Laboratories in Bauchi State, North East Nigeria

Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture services represent a critical component of tuberculosis diagnosis and drug resistance surveillance, yet their operational capacity in North East Nigeria remains limited and poorly documented. This study assessed the capacity and challenges of M. tuberculosis culture services at designated tuberculosis laboratories in Bauchi State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional institutional audit was conducted at five designated TB culture sites. Data were collected through structured facility assessment checklists, equipment inventories, personnel records, and interviews with senior laboratory staff. Capacity domains assessed included physical infrastructure, biosafety levels, culture media availability, equipment functionality, and human resource adequacy. None of the five sites fully met WHO biosafety level 3 requirements for M. tuberculosis culture. Biosafety cabinet functionality was confirmed at only two sites. Liquid culture systems were operational at three sites, with median culture contamination rates of 13.6%, exceeding the 5.0% acceptability threshold. Turnaround time from specimen receipt to culture result averaged 28 days. Staff trained in TB culture numbered two or fewer at four of the five sites. Reagent stockouts were reported at all facilities in the preceding year. The study documents substantial infrastructure, biosafety, and human resource deficits at TB culture laboratories in Bauchi State and recommends urgent investment in biosafety infrastructure upgrades, continuous reagent supply chain management, and specialised training of additional laboratory personnel to strengthen tuberculosis culture capacity. Keywords: tuberculosis culture, biosafety, drug resistance, laboratory capacity, Bauchi State