Treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in China

During the past decade the number and gravity of tuberculosis (TB) cases has continued to increase, both in developing and industrialized nations. Coupled with the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the possibility that untreatable forms of the disease may become widespread has arisen. In China, the prevalence rate of smear-positive cases from three national surveys in 1979, 1984-1985 and 1990 was 187, 156 and 134/100,000, respectively, thus giving an annual average reduction rate of only 3.0%. This may be due to the accumulation of chronic cases, which is not surprising given that as many as 84.3% of new smear-positive cases received non-organized chemotherapy. To counteract this situation, a strategy was developed in Beijing to practice fully supervised chemotherapy for all new smear-positive cases. This is now 90% with a cure rate also of 90%. As a result, the prevalence rate of smear-positive cases has dropped, with an average annual reduction of 17%. Building upon this success, the World Bank Loan TB Control Project in China has been carried out in 12 provinces with 550 million people since 1992. The main objective of this project is to provide fully supervised, 6-month short-course chemotherapy for all newly detected smear-positive cases. The cure rate based on cohort analysis was 88% in 1993. Complete data are not available on resistance although the initial and acquired resistance rates were 28.1 and 41.1%, respectively. MDR-TB treated with ofloxacin has been increasing since 1992, with 317 cases reported during the period 1992-1995, of which 77% showed sputum conversion.