Geographical analysis and evaluation of M. tuberculosis genome sequencing at the national level

Abstract

Tuberculosis, one of the ancient infections that especially affects humans, the main target organ of this disease being the lung, is caused by M. tuberculosis and remains one of the most important public health problems, especially in developing countries. The emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis is considered a serious threat to tuberculosis control worldwide. The burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis remains increasing in countries endemic for this infection. The risk factors that influence this situation and that are elucidated more frequently in the specialized literature are the abusive use of drugs, the failure of the therapeutic regimen, the relapse of tuberculosis, the difficulty of obtaining drug sensitivity testing in a fast time. In Moldova, but also in other regions of Eastern Europe, drug resistance represents a serious obstacle in the effective control of this disease. There is evidence that the transmission of resistant strains, as opposed to the acquisition of resistance mutations through inadequate treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis, is the main driver of the high level of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in these countries.