title: High frequency of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Georgetown, Guyana.
abstract: Emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates constitutes a threat to public health worldwide. This study aimed at acquiring first epidemiological data for Guyana. Thirty-six M. tuberculosis isolates from patients of the Georgetown Chest Clinic were subjected to susceptibility testing on solid agar and in broth media. Resistance to at least one first-line drug was observed in 8 (22.2%, 95% confidence interval 8.3-36.1%) and simultaneous resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid (MDR) in 4 (11.1%, 95% confidence interval 0.6-21.6%) of the 36 isolates. The risk of infection with resistant isolates was significantly related to earlier antituberculosis therapy (P=0.040). These data indicate a high proportion of resistant M. tuberculosis isolates in Guyana and call for the implementation of control strategies based on an improved laboratory diagnosis of TB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology of Infection, Charité- University Medicine Berlin, and Institute for Microbiology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital Zehlendorf-Heckeshorn, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Menner
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Orawa
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Indal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rambajan
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Shamdeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Persaud
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ignatius
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006172:Guyana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin