Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Brazil: a snapshot from the National Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis and other Mycobacterioses

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern worldwide. In 2015, there were approximately 10.4 million new cases of the disease, with 1.4 million deaths. Another major issue regarding TB is the worldwide emergence of drug-resistant strains. The National Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis and other Mycobacterioses assists the entire network of the Tuberculosis Control Program in Brazil by performing complex diagnostic procedures for the entire country. Here we report the drug susceptibility testing activities of the laboratory between 2013 and 2015. Our numbers highlight the importance of vigilant control programmes to quickly detect, treat and eliminate drug-resistant TB cases, so as to avoid dissemination of drug-resistant forms of this important disease.
Source: Reviews in Medical Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Tags: Bacteriology Source Type: research