title: Tuberculosis in Australia: bacteriologically confirmed cases and drug resistance, 2010. A report of the Australian Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory Network.
abstract: The Australian Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory Network collects and analyses laboratory data on new cases of disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In 2010, a total of 1,051 cases were identified by bacteriology; an annual reporting rate of 4.7 cases per 100,000 population. Twelve children aged less than 10 years had bacteriologically-confirmed tuberculosis. Results of in vitro drug susceptibility testing were available for 1,050 isolates for isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), ethambutol (EMB), and pyrazinamide (PYZ). A total of 126 (12%) isolates of M. tuberculosis were resistant to at least one of these anti-tuberculosis agents. Resistance to at least INH and RIF (defined as multi-drug resistance, MDR) was detected in 37 (3.5%) isolates, including three Australians with extensive travel in high burden TB countries; 33 were from the respiratory tract (sputum n=28, bronchoscopy n=5). Nineteen (65.5%) of the MDR-TB-positive sputum specimens were smear-positive, as were single samples from bronchoscopy and urine. Sixteen patients with MDR-TB were from the Torres Strait Protected Zone. If these Papa New Guinea nationals are excluded from the analysis, the underlying MDR-TB rate in Australian isolates was 2.0%. One case of extensively drug-resistant TB (defined as MDR-TB with additional resistance to a fluoroquinolone and an injectable agent) was detected in 2010.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, SA Pathology, Adelaide, South Australia. richard.lumb2@health.sa.gov.au
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lumb
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bastian
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jelfs
authors.forename: Terillee
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keehner
authors.forename: Aina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sievers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000847:Annual Reports as Topic; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection; D018563:Disease Notification; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult