Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis

Tzu-Kuang Chou

2007 Vol.23 NO.3

Correspondence Author： Tzu-Kuang Chou

Abstract：

Tuberculosis is a transmissible disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the recent three years, there were still about 15 thousands of new and confirmed TB patients identified each year, with increasing percentages of patients having multi drug resistant strains.
Globally, among new patients without any previous anti-TB treatments, the average percentage of multidrug resistant strains is 1.1% (0-14.2%). It is 7% (0-58.3%) for those who have received anti-TB treatment. According to WHO, multidrug resistant tuberculosis has spread around the world. It is estimated that three to six hundred thousands of new patients having multidrug resistant tuberculosis are identified globally each year, with a total case number of one million. In Taiwan, according to the statistics of the CDC in 2003, the percentage of multidrug resistant strains was around 4%.