Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026

An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings
Published on: March 30, 2014
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa: an emerging public-health concern
Kelsey D J Jones1, Therese Hesketh, John Yudkin
1UCL Centre for International Health and Development, The Institute of Child Health, London, UK. kelseyjones@gmail.com
Abstract:
The extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) categorisation has been developed as a phenotypic description of those TB strains that are resistant to most conventional anti-TB drugs. While widely accepted to have significant incidence in those areas, such as Eastern Europe, that have high levels of multidrug resistance, recent reports have described a cluster of XDR-TB cases in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. With very high case-fatality rates in this setting and a paucity of potential treatment options, concerns have grown about the possibility of an outbreak of highly lethal TB occurring in areas where TB prevalence, generally, is at its highest. In this article, we review previously documented case series of XDR-TB, and examine questions around the likelihood of rapid XDR-TB expansion in sub-Saharan Africa. We analyse how current TB control measures in the area might cope with such a challenge, and identify new areas for focus within the research and development community.
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the progression...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Tuberculosis
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...
Development of Antibiotic Resistance
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance