Drug-resistant tuberculosis: what do we do now?
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) represents a threat to TB control programmes. Erratic and inappropriate use of currently available medications, HIV-TB co-infection, and concern about transmission of drug-resistant strains in the general population all contribute to a worrying picture. What do we do now? In the last few years, there has been considerable progress in the understanding of mechanisms of action and resistance to antituberculosis agents, and in establishing the value of directly observed therapy in preventing treatment failure. However, a limited effort has been devoted to the development of new active compounds or of rapid diagnostic tests, and their relevance to global tuberculosis control has been questioned.
Telenti
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Division of Infectious Diseases and Institute of Microbiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland. amalio.telenti@chuv.hospvd.ch
Iseman
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M
D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011634:Public Health; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D000995:Antitubercular Agents