Facts about Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB)

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are major medical and public problem, threatening the global health.

MDR-TB is defined as TB that is resistant to the two most important first-line anti-TB drugs rifampicin (RMP) and isoniazid (INH). The annual global MDR-TB burden is estimated at around 425.000 cases, or 5% of the global tuberculosis burden. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is a challenge to TB control due to its complex diagnostic and treatment requirements.
A fast and reliable resistance testing is essential to cut transmission paths and to change treatment to effective antibiotics of the second line. Treatment for MDR-TB is cost-intensive, long-winded (minimum 18 month) and must be undertaken by a physician experienced in therapy of MDR-TB.   

XDR-TB is currently defined as multidrug-resistant TB, in addition to resistance to any one of the fluoroquinolones (e.g. ofloxacin and moxifloxacin) and to at least one of the injectable second-line drugs (capreomycin, viomycin, kanamycin and amikacin).
XDR-TB emerges like MDR-TB through mismanagement of treatment. XDR-TB is already spread throughout all regions of the world where in some countries more than 20% of all multidrug-resistant TB cases are XDR.
Treatment of XDR-TB is extremely limited. Only few drugs are available. Because of its less efficiency in comparison to first-line drugs and strong side effects, treatment of XDR-TB is difficult and must be undertaken by a physician with high experience. The period of therapy can add up to several years. The mortality rate is extremely high.

GenoType^® MTBDRplus and GenoType^® MTBDRsl provide the opportunity of a rapid and reliable detection of MDR/XDR-TB.

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