Mycobacterium tuberculosis susceptibility in Saudi Arabia

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Tuberculosis remains a significant global health challenge.
• Drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complicates treatment and control efforts.
• Limited comprehensive data exists on drug susceptibility patterns in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and present available susceptibility data for Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from KSA.
• To analyze resistance patterns to first-line anti-tuberculosis agents.
• To identify trends and regional variations in drug resistance.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis was conducted on peer-reviewed studies published between 1966 and 2001.
• Data from Medline-indexed and non-indexed publications were included.
• Isolates' growth and resistance numbers for first-line agents were tabulated.

Main Results:

• Twelve studies comprising 6,316 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates (1979-2000) were analyzed.
• Overall resistance to at least one first-line agent was 18.4%.
• Monoresistance (10.9%), polyresistance (7.6%), and multidrug resistance (5.7%) were observed. Isoniazid resistance was most prevalent (11%).
• Resistance rates showed no significant statistical difference between 1979-1991 and 1989-2000.
• Higher resistance rates were noted in the Western and Southern regions of KSA.

Conclusions:

• High rates of resistance to first-line anti-tuberculosis agents and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis exist in KSA.
• These findings underscore the urgent need for robust drug-resistant tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring programs.
• Community-level resistance data is crucial for effective public health interventions.