The Birmingham tuberculosis drug resistance register, 1956–1983

Abstract

The findings of the Birmingham Drug Resistance Register are recorded for the years 1956-83. In native born patients initial drug resistance was common up to 1969, but few new cases were discovered after 1970. In the immigrant population a peak of male discoveries was noted in 1968 and a peak of female discoveries in 1979, probably due to immigration patterns. In the native born, single drug resistance was the more common pattern; no initial isoniazid resistance has been detected in this group since 1970. The immigrant patients showed a higher proportion of initial multiple drug resistance. The proportion of culture positive respiratory tuberculosis from which drug resistant bacilli were isolated is given for the years 1976-1983. For native born males this was 1%, for native born females 0.6%, for immigrant males 5.1% and for immigrant females 6.5%. The detections of acquired drug resistance were high in 1956, but since 1970 have fallen to low levels, as has the pool of chronic excretors of drug resistant tubercle bacilli.