To treat or not to treat: the case of tuberculosis.
Incomplete treatment of patients with infectious tuberculosis (TB) may not only lead to relapse but also to the development of antibiotic resistant TB-one of the most serious health problems facing society today. In this article, we formulate one-strain and two-strain TB models to determine possible mechanisms that may allow for the survival and spread of naturally resistant strains of TB as well as antibiotic-generated resistant strains of TB. Analysis of our models shows that non-antibiotic co-existence is possible but rare for naturally resistant strains while co-existence is almost the rule for strains that result from the lack of compliance with antibiotic treatment by TB infected individuals.
Castillo-Chavez
C
C
Biometrics Unit, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Feng
Z
Z
D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
D000995:Antitubercular Agents