Increasing resistance of M. tuberculosis to anti-TB drugs in Saudi Arabia

The incidence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolated from our hospital between April 1996 and March 1998 was compared with an earlier study (1993-1995). Thirty (29.7%) of 101 MTB isolates were resistant to one or more anti-TB drugs and 21 (20%) of 101 were multi-drug resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Resistance was most common to isoniazid (28.7%), followed by streptomycin (22.8%) and rifampicin (20.8%). Resistance to pyrazinamide and ethambutol was 7.9 and 6.9%, respectively. There was a three-fold increase in resistance compared with the earlier study. Copyright © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy.