Clinical experience with extensively Drug Resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has not been reported in Malaysia before. We describe the clinical characteristics, risk factors, progress and therapeutic regimen for a healthcare worker with XDR-TB, who had failed therapy for multidrug resistant TB (MDR TB) in our institution. This case illustrates the risk of TB among healthcare workers in high TB-bur...

Firstly, in 2006, the new Stop TB Strategy was launched by the World Health Organization (WHO), following intensive exploration and discussion with TB control programme managers in high burden countries and partner organisations, including technical agencies and donors [2]. The DOTS strategy (consisting of five key elements: government commitment, diagnosis through microscopy, standardised and ...

To the Editor: An emergency has been declared in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, where an outbreak of 53 cases of a highly lethal form of tuberculosis (TB) has occurred (1,2). This outbreak was caused by an extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) strain. XDR TB is defined as TB caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin plus any fluoroquinolone and >1 of the...

Tuberculosis (TB) can usually be treated with a course of four standard, or first-line, anti-TB drugs. If these are misused or mismanaged (that is, when drugs are taken in the wrong combination, are fewer than those prescribed, or are taken in insufficient doses or not at the proper time), multidrugresistant TB (MDR-TB) can develop. MDR-TB is a form of disease resistant to the most important an...

Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has recently emerged as a global health problem and pose a significant threat to TB control programmes. XDR-TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to at least isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), any fluoroquinolone (FQs) and any of the three second line injectable drugs [amikacin, kanamycin (aminoglycosides) or capreomycin (polypeptide...

South Africa is experiencing a widespread drug-resistant tuberculosis epidemic, although data are limited regarding the current situation. This study finds that the extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) incidence in KwaZulu-Natal increased to 3.5 cases/100,000 (776 cases) in 2011-2012. XDR-TB cases are widely distributed geographically, with the majority of districts experiencing a r...

day, in patients with MDRand XDR-TB, who have few other drug options. All of our patients were given written instruction on the side-effects that they are likely to encounter and, at each follow-up, these were diligently checked for. In all patients treated with linezolid, clinical, haematological and neurological evaluations are mandatory on a monthly basis, as well as frequent opthalmological...