title: Worldwide emergence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.
abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains that are resistant to an increasing number of second-line drugs used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) are becoming a threat to public health worldwide. We surveyed the Network of Supranational Reference Laboratories for M. tuberculosis isolates that were resistant to second-line anti-TB drugs during 2000-2004. We defined extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) as MDR TB with further resistance to > or = 3 of the 6 classes of second-line drugs. Of 23 eligible laboratories, 14 (61%) contributed data on 17,690 isolates, which reflected drug susceptibility results from 48 countries. Of 3,520 (19.9%) MDR TB isolates, 347 (9.9%) met criteria for XDR TB. Further investigation of population-based trends and expanded efforts to prevent drug resistance and effectively treat patients with MDR TB are crucial for protection of public health and control of TB.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. sshah@montefiore.org
authors.forename: N Sarita
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Gill-Han
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: Fadila
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boulahbal
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martín-Casabona
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Drobniewski
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gilpin
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Havelková
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lepe
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lumb
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Metchock
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Portaels
authors.forename: Maria Filomena
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rüsch-Gerdes
authors.forename: Armand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Deun
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Kayla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laserson
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: J Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cegielski
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents