Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Iran: a multicenter study

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) presents a significant global health challenge.
• Iran faces a growing incidence of MDR-TB, yet current research on its prevalence in pulmonary TB patients is limited.
• Effective control strategies require up-to-date data on drug resistance patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of MDR-TB among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Iran.
• To identify potential factors contributing to the rise of TB and MDR-TB in the country.
• To inform the development of improved treatment and diagnostic approaches.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1216 respiratory samples from five regional TB laboratories in Iran.
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis identification using IS6110-based PCR and Xpert MTB/RIF assays.
• Drug susceptibility testing (DST) performed using the conventional proportion method.

Main Results:

• Out of 448 positive M. tuberculosis isolates, 445 (99.4%) were susceptible to tested drugs.
• Only 3 isolates (0.6%) were identified as multidrug-resistant (MDR).
• The study established a current MDR-TB prevalence of 0.6% in the studied Iranian population.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of MDR-TB in Iran is currently low at 0.6%.
• Inadequate laboratory infrastructure for DST and lack of updated treatment protocols may contribute to potential increases in MDR-TB.
• Enhancing treatment management and adopting new technologies are crucial for combating TB and MDR-TB in Iran.