Decreasing prevalence of multi-drugs resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Nashik City, India

Abstract

Objective: In India, increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR) has aggravated the control of tuberculosis problem. In many urban and semi-urban regions of India, no surveillance data of multidrug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosisis available. Methods: A surveillance study on multidrug resistance was carried out in semi-urban and rural regions in and around Nashik City of Maharashtra, India. The surveillance study was conducted in this region found that the prevalence of combined resistance to first and second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs is remarkably high. The isolates of M. tuberculosis was identified and subjected to drug susceptibility testing. The patterns of drug susceptibility of isolates of M. tuberculosis during the periods 2000 and 2004 were compared with drug susceptibility patterns of the organisms during the period 2008 to 2011. Results: The 260 isolates identified as M. tuberculosis show mean drug resistance prevalence of 45.6% for more than any two drugs and the MDR rate as 37% in the years 2000 to 2004 whereas 305 isolates of the organism show mean drug resistance prevalence of 30.2% and the MDR rate as 25% in the years 2008 to 2011. Conclusion: The researcher found that, though the prevalence of multidrug resistance to the drugs tested is remarkably high, it has come down noticeably during the past seven years due to efforts of State Government and strict implementation of treatment guidelines of WHO by the physicians. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2013; 3(1): 12-17