title: Drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Sunamganj District of Bangladesh.
abstract: Spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) threatens TB-control programmes, and all countries need to monitor the patterns and trends of anti-TB drug resistance. Such data assess the quality of control programmes and help forecast future trends of drug resistance. It will also help to establish guidelines for TB therapy. The aim of the current study was to describe the rate of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Sunamganj District of Bangladesh. Bacterial isolates were collected from sputum smear positive (ss+) patients who attended the National TB Programme from November 2003 to December 2004. A total of 95 isolates was tested for susceptibility to streptomycin (SM), isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RMP) and ethambutol (EMB) at the National Reference Laboratory for Mycobacteria at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo. The total resistance among new cases to any drug was 31%. For SM it was 18%, INH 23%, RMP 2%, EMB 10% and 2% were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) in Sunamganj is still effective, although the high resistance to INH is alarming. An increased risk of treatment failure has been demonstrated in areas with high levels of INH resistance, and a high proportion of INH resistant cases may develop resistance to RMP during treatment.
authors: Department of International Health, Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. dgstorla@online.no
authors: Dag Gundersen
authors: DG
authors: Storla
authors: Zeaur
authors: Z
authors: Rahim
authors: Mohammed Akramul
authors: MA
authors: Islam
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Plettner
authors: Vikarunessa
authors: V
authors: Begum
authors: Bjørn
authors: B
authors: Myrvang
authors: Gunnar
authors: G
authors: Bjune
authors: Elisabet
authors: E
authors: Rønnild
authors: Ulf R
authors: UR
authors: Dahle
authors: Turid
authors: T
authors: Mannsåker
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents