Drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Abstract

Abstract Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a challenge in the treatment and eradication of TB worldwide. Over the years, resistance to the treatment of TB emerged as a result of poor management of the disease. The benefits of rapid diagnosis for TB and drug resistance in patients are enormous, particularly with regard to increased chances of the patients' survival and decrease in the possible spread and acquisition of drug-resistant TB. This review highlights the mutational genes responsible for resistance for each of the drugs and the various methods used in detecting drug-resistant TB. This review shed more light on the available techniques, their merits and demerits. Studies have shown advancement in this area but the high cost of using molecular techniques, which provides timely results in the detecting of multi-drug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB still poses challenges for developing countries. Unfortunately, it can take months to detect TB and drug-resistant TB using the conventional methods which is quite cumbersome and poses a risk to both the patient and the public due to delay in appropriate commencement of treatment. Also, the use of endorsed liquid culture medium such as the microscopic-observation drug and nitrate reductase assay is still a challenge to developing nations. A lot has been done in the treatment and diagnosis of drug-resistant TB but more needs to be done especially in the developing countries in order to curtail the menace of drug-resistant TB.