Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026

System for Efficacy and Cytotoxicity Screening of Inhibitors Targeting Intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Published on: April 5, 2017
Slow elimination of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
Christopher Dye1, Brian G Williams
1Office of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, CH1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. dyec@who.int
Abstract:
The growing number of reports of antibiotic resistance worldwide has led to fears that some lethal human pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, will soon become untreatable. Here, we show that, although this is possible, it is not inevitable. The World Health Organization has recently reported more cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis than ever before, but a new analysis of trend data for 10 groups of countries shows how and why the spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis can be reversed by good treatment practices. We find that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is not self-sustaining in 9 out of the 10 settings and conclude that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis can be set on a path--albeit a slow path--to elimination. This result applies even to countries such as Estonia and Latvia, which have exceptionally high prevalence rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
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...
Pharmacokinetic–Pharmacodynamic Relationship: Influence of Elimination Half-Life on Effect Duration
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...
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...
Drug Elimination by Renal Route: Tubular Secretion
Tuberculosis