Emerging epidemic of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Europe, Russia, China, South America and Asia: current status and global perspectives.

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:

Drug resistance, particularly through multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB strains, poses a real threat to TB control worldwide. Recent reports from the WHO and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease demonstrate that the emerging epidemic of drug-resistant TB is a global problem, although emphasis has been placed on several 'hot spots' because of lack of good global data.

RECENT FINDINGS:

The present article is aimed at reviewing the available information on drug-resistant TB with special focus on the features of the epidemic in Europe, Russia, Latin America, Asia and specifically China, and to discuss the global perspectives related to drug-resistant TB control and care.

SUMMARY:

Drug-resistant TB originates from different human errors, including misuse of anti-TB drugs and other reasons related to prescribers, patients and drug producers. Although there is an urgent need for new drugs, a sound public health approach is necessary for their introduction in clinical treatment settings to prevent/avoid creating additional resistance, as has already been observed for first and second-line anti-TB drugs in many settings.

• Authors: Giovanni Battista Migliori, Rosella Centis, Chris Lange, Morgan D'Arcy Richardson, Giovanni Sotgiu
• Journal: Current opinion in pulmonary medicine (Curr Opin Pulm Med) Vol. 16 Issue 3 Pg. 171-9 (May 2010) ISSN: 1531-6971 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20134324 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antitubercular Agents

Topics

• Antitubercular Agents (therapeutic use)
• Asia (epidemiology)
• Communicable Disease Control (organization & administration)
• Communicable Diseases, Emerging (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Disease Outbreaks
• Europe (epidemiology)
• Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Incidence
• Male
• Risk Assessment
• Russia (epidemiology)
• South America (epidemiology)
• Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)