Patients with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) may remain a source of infection longer than rifampicin-susceptible tuberculosis (RS-TB). The objective of this study was to detect active cases of rifampicin-susceptible and -resistant tuberculosis in displaced persons sites in the 9th District of N’Djamena. This observational, cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted among 418 contacts of the displaced persons, including 285 in the Walia site and 133 in the Toukra site. Data were collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire administered by an interviewer. The identification of active cases of tuberculosis among the displaced persons was carried out by an interview to verify the presence or absence of TB symptoms. The TB-LAMP molecular technique was used to detect active tuberculosis among symptomatic and asymptomatic contacts. Instead, a GeneXpert analysis was carried out to detect cases of tuberculosis sensitive and resistant to rifampicin. TB-LAMP detected 76 (5.5%) cases of active TB among 418 displaced persons, including 11 lost to follow-up and 65 new cases. Female patients were more dominant (59.21%) than males (40.78%), and the age of patients ranged from 12 to 65 years, with a mean age of 38.5 years with a sex ratio of 1.45 in favor of females. Loss of appetite (31%), asthenia (20.0%) and cough (16%) were the most common symptoms. GeneXpert confirmed the 76 positive cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, of which 8 (10.52%) were resistant and 69 (90.78%) were sensitive to rifampicin. HIV1/2 immunochromatographic tests detected 12 (15.78%) cases of HIV/tuberculosis coinfection among the positive cases. This study highlighted the emergence of strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex resistant and sensitive to rifampicin. Regular and effective screening of RR-TB contacts is necessary to stop transmission in displaced persons sites in Chad, Africa and even worldwide. Keywords: Flood, displaced person, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resistance, rifampicin, molecular technique, Chad.
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