Primary drug resistance in a region with high burden of tuberculosis. A critical problem

• Main Authors: Cecilia Villa-Rosas, Rafael Laniado-Laborín, Lorena Oceguera-Palao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública 2015-03-01
• Series: Salud Pública de México
• Subjects: resultado de tratamiento; amplificación de resistencia; isoniacida; rifampicina
• Online Access: http://www.saludpublica.mx/index.php/spm/article/view/7414

Objective. To determine rates of drug resistance in new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in a region with a high burden of the disease. Materials and methods. New case suspects were referred for drug susceptibility testing. Results. 28.9% of new cases were resistant to at least one first line drug; 3.9% had a multidrug-resistant strain, 15.6% a monoresistant strain and 9.4% a polyresistant strain. Conclusion. Our rate of drug resistant tuberculosis in new cases is very high; this has important clinical implications, since even monoresistance can have a negative impact on the outcome of new cases treated empirically with a six month regimen.