What is drug-resistant TB?

TB can usually be treated with a course of four standard, or first-line, anti-TB drugs. If these drugs are misused or mismanaged, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) can develop. MDR-TB takes longer to treat with second-line drugs, which are more expensive and have more side-effects. If these second-line drugs are also misused or mismanaged and therefore also become ineffective, extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) can develop. Because XDR-TB is resistant to both first- and second-line drugs, treatment options are seriously limited.

Drug-resistant TB is caused by inconsistent or partial treatment:

When patients do not take all their medicines regularly for the required period because they start to feel better, or
Because doctors and health workers prescribe the wrong treatment regimens, or
Because the drug supply is unreliable.

It is vital that TB control is managed properly by both healthcare professional and their patients.

For More Information on TB:

If you wish to read more about TB, try these links:

Health Topics at Medline Plus - This comprehensive online library service from the National Institutes of Health Medical Library (NIHML) offers numerous resources on TB.
The Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides news items, updates, fact sheets, and recent highlights regarding TB and the effort to control and eliminate it.
State TB Control Offices - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a complete listing of each state office with phone, fax, and Web information.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. NIAID provides comprehensive information on TB which includes information on TB research, definitions, a visual tour of the TB cells, and more.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. The "World Free of TB" site offers a global view of the mission, policies and directions the organization is taking to develop and implement long-term plans for TB prevention and control and eventual eradication of TB.

What is drug-resistant TB?

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