Screening paper currency for Mycobacterium tuberculosis using loop-mediated isothermal amplification

Paper currency notes are the most commonly exchanged fomites which can be contaminated and have the potential to transmit pathogenic organisms. The presence of tuberculosis causative bacteria on the most commonly circulated Indian currency notes was investigated using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Out of 1,000 random samples of 10-rupee Indian currency notes, 11.3% tested positive for the presence of genomic DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It was observed that soiled/old notes are more likely than new currency notes to harbor M. tuberculosis. This study demonstrates the novel application of LAMP technique for screening fomites for the presence of pathogens.