title: Prevalence of antituberculosis drug resistance in Harar Tuberculosis Centre, Ethiopia.
abstract: A tuberculosis centre based, cross sectional study was carried out in order to describe the magnitude of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance in Harar, eastern Ethiopia. The study was conducted in Harar Tuberculosis Centre which is the major tuberculosis treatment centre in eastern Ethiopia. A total of 338 smear/culture positive patients were enrolled in the study between October 10, 1994 and January 20, 1995. Exposure status was determined through interview; drug resistance was determined through laboratory investigation. The overall prevalence of resistance to one or more antituberculosis drugs was 126/338(37.3%). Initial and acquired resistance were 82/252(32.5%) and 44/86(51.2%) respectively. Multi-drug resistance (resistance to both isoniazid and rifampicin) was detected in 3.5% of cases who had previous history of treatment. Anti-tuberculosis drug resistance was significantly higher in those who had previous history treatment (p < 0.005). The prevalence of drug resistance is high in Harar. There is a need for periodic drug resistance survey. Implementation of the WHO recommended supervised treatment with multi-sectoral approach is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Gondar College of Medical Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mitike
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kebede
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yeneneh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*