Immunochromatographic kit and method for detecting mycobacterium tuberculosis

A method of detecting a strain of Mycobacterium or a strain of BCG in a test specimen using a combination of antibodies consisting of a first antibody and a second antibody, the method comprising:

• a step of spreading on a porous carrier a complex body of lipoarabinomannan in a test specimen and a label substance with which the first antibody is labelled, wherein the porous carrier has a reaction site having the second antibody immobilized therein, wherein the first antibody specifically binds to the lipoarabinomannan and the second antibody specifically binds to the 5-deoxy-5-methylthio-xylofuranose structure (MTX) of the lipoarabinomannan, wherein the first antibody is A194-01 monoclonal antibody and the second antibody is MoAb1 monoclonal antibody;
• a step of trapping the complex body at the reaction site of the porous carrier;
• and
• a step of amplifying the label substance of the complex body trapped at the reaction site using a compound containing silver and a reducing agent that reduces silver ions,
• wherein the method detects a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium africanum, Mycobacterium microti, BCG Pasteur strain, BCG Connaught strain, and BCG Tokyo strain in the test specimen and does not detect Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. Abscessus, Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. Bolletii, Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. Massiliense, Mycobacterium chelonae, and Mycobacterium fortuitum.