The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7423 p473
21 October 2006

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Extensively drug-resistant TB is serious threat, says WHO

Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), although relatively uncommon, poses a serious threat to public health, the World Health Organization warned earlier this week.

The WHO Global Task Force on XDR-TB, which met for the first time this month, outlined measures that countries must put in place to combat the emergent disease, which has been identified in all regions of the world.

The task force called for an immediate strengthening of TB control worldwide, with accelerated access to rapid tests for rifampicin resistance. It stressed the importance of access to second-line drugs for drug-resistant TB and recommended a strengthening of laboratory capacity to diagnose, manage and survey drug resistance.

The WHO has also agreed a definition for XDR-TB. It is defined as TB that is resistant to at least rifampicin and isoniazid in addition to resistance to any fluoroquinolone and to at least one of three injectable second-line anti-TB drugs (capreomycin, kanamicin and amikacin).