BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Multidrug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) is a problem of increasing importance in the world due to limited treatment options. Resistance to rifampicin results from nucleotide changes in the gene encoding the beta subunit of the RNA polymerase (rpoB) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Rifampicin resistance is considered as a marker for MDR TB. The nature and frequency of m...

OBJECTIVE To determine the mechanism of rifampicin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae in Taiwan. METHODS Rifampicin resistance was investigated with respect to the rpoB gene in 23 invasive S. pneumoniae isolates collected from 1996 to 2001. PCR and molecular typing were used for genetic and epidemiological analyses. Transformation was used to determine the functional gene for resistance. ...

Background. Drug resistance is a major challenge in antibiotic chemotherapy. Assessing resistance profiles of pathogens constitutes an essential surveillance tool in the epidemiology and control of infectious diseases, including Buruli ulcer (BU) disease. With the successful definitive management of BU using rifampicin and streptomycin, little attention had been paid to monitoring emergence of ...

The frequency of mutants resistant to the antibiotic rifampicin has been shown to increase in aging (starved), compared to young colonies of Escherichia coli. These increases in resistance frequency occur in the absence of any antibiotic exposure, and similar increases have also been observed in response to additional growth limiting conditions. Understanding the causes of such increases in the...

BACKGROUND Accurate, rapid detection of tuberculosis (TB) and TB drug resistance is critical for improving patient care and decreasing TB transmission. Xpert® MTB/RIF assay is an automated test that can detect both TB and rifampicin resistance, generally within two hours after starting the test, with minimal hands-on technical time. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued initial recommendat...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of a line-probe assay delta (LiPA) as rapid diagnostic test for early detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis compared to conventional susceptibility methods in Pakistan. METHODS Resistance to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) in 108 smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis samples was detected using a line-probe assay [GenoType MTBDRplus (Hain Lifescience, G...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate resistance rates in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) against clindamycin, cotrimoxazole, tetracycline, fusidic acid, rifampicin and chloramphenicol isolated from skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). METHODS Descriptive analysis of SSTI samples yielding MRSA in clinical laboratory of a tertiary care center; receiving specimens across Pakistan from Ja...

Current treatment for leprosy is based on standard MDT which consists of dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazamine (WHO 1982). However, other antibiotics like ofloxacin, minocycline are also administered to patients, if required. Prior to the introduction of MDT, dapsone monotherapy was used for treatment. Long term monotherapy with dapsone resulted in poor compliance, treatment failures and emergen...