Resistance profile and risk factors of drug resistant tuberculosis in the Baltic countries

The rates of multi- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (X/MDRTB) in the Baltic countries are the highest within the European Union hampering recent achievements of national TB control programmes. We included all consecutive culture-confirmed X/MDRTB patients registered for treatment in 2009 in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia into this multicenter case-control study. Cases were compared with randomly selected controls with non-MDRTB registered for treatment in the same year across these sites. Of 495 MDRTB patients, 243 (49.7%) showed resistance to at least one second-line drug, 206 (42.1%) had pre-XDRTB (i.e. MDRTB with additional resistance to a second-line injectable or fluoroquinolones) and 64 (13.1%) had XDRTB. Younger age, male gender and known contact with an MDRTB case were associated with increased risk of primary infection with X/MDRTB strains. Previous treatment and alcohol abuse were strong predictors for MDRTB acquisition; defaults and failures in the past triggered XDRTB development. All patients received appropriate therapy; less than half of the patients were fully adherent. An erroneous treatment strategy is unlikely to drive resistance development. Increasing patients' compliance, addressing issues of social support, rapid detection of drug resistance and improving infection control is crucial for prevention of further spread of X/MDRTB and achieving higher cure rates.