The Current Status of Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in Korea.
10.4046/trd.2006.60.4.404
- Author:
Byoung Ju KIM
1
;
In Hee LEE
;
Duk Hyung LEE
;
Gill Han BAI
;
Suk Jun KONG
;
Sun Hwa LEE
;
Hae Ran MOON
;
Kyoung Ryul LEE
;
Jun Young LEE
;
Seung Kyu PARK
Author Information
1. National Masan Tuberculosis Hospital, Masan, Korea. pulmo116@empal.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis;
Drug susceptibility test
- MeSH:
Humans;
Isoniazid;
Korea*;
Tuberculosis;
Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant*
- From:Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
2006;60(4):404-411
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an emerging threat to human beings. However, there is little data on the current status of MDR-TB in Korea. This study investigated the current status of MDR-TB in Korea using a survey of all the data from drug susceptibility tests (DST) performed across the country over the last three years. METHOD: The DST results between Jan. 2000 and Dec. 2002 from 7 laboratories, which were in charge of all antituberculous DSTs across the country as of March 2002, were collected and analyzed to determine the actual number of drug-resistant or MDR-TB patients, annual trend, degree and pattern of resistance against anti-TB drugs, etc. RESULTS: Six laboratories used the absolute concentration method for DST and one used the proportional method. 59, 940 tests had been performed over the 3 year study period. The number of DST performed annually was 18,071, 19,950, and 21,919 in 2000-2002, respectively. The number of resistant tuberculosis patients (resistant against at least one anti-TB drug) had increased by 16.9% from 6,338 in 2000 to 7,409 in 2002. The rate of resistant tuberculosis among all DST results was 35.1% in 2000, 34.5% in 2001, and 33.8% in 2002. The number of MDR-TB patients (resistant against at least both isoniazid and rifampin) showed an increasing trend (14.5%) from 3,708 in 2000 to 4,245 in 2002. CONCLUSION: Approximately 4,000 MDR-TB cases are newly identified by DST annually and the number is showing an increasing trend. This study suggests that in order to cope with the current MDR-TB situation, the DST methods will need to be standardized and more aggressive measures will be required.
