Congenital Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in a Neonate: A Case Report

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a well-identified raising public health concern worldwide. However, the data available on MDR-TB in children and particularly in the neonate age group are limited. Congenital tuberculosis (TB) is rare, and its diagnosis is challenging because of non-specific manifestations. The choice of anti-tubercular drugs is difficult because of the lack of international consensus as a consequence of the scarcity of evidence-based data on this age group. We hereby present a case from Bhutan of a 23-day-old male neonate with congenital MDR-TB. His mother was diagnosed with disseminated TB, and treatment was commenced 11 days post-partum. Congenital transmission of TB was suspected, as direct postnatal transmission was unlikely and thorough screening of contacts for TB was negative. In this case, the mother's MDR-TB status was revealed only after her newborn's MDR-TB diagnosis.