The dangers of drug-resistant tuberculosis: What you need to know

TB is caused by bacteria that usually attack the lungs but can also infect other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine or brain. TB bacteria are spread through the air, most commonly when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, speaks, or sings.

Not everyone infected with TB becomes sick. Although symptoms can resolve on their own, the infection usually remains in the body and symptoms can recur at any point, sometimes more severe than initially. When TB bacteria start growing and the immune system can’t stop their growth, TB infection becomes TB disease and must be treated with a drug treatment that can last months. Symptoms for people with TB of the lungs can include fevers, coughs that bring up blood, and weight loss.

All age groups are at risk of acquiring any form of TB. Patients with HIV or whose immune systems are otherwise impaired (including people with diabetes or who are on chemotherapy or certain other medications) are at highest risk of developing an active TB infection. While the prevalence of TB is low in the United States, it is much more common in other parts of the world, with India, Indonesia, and China having the highest number of cases.

MDR-TB, which is deemed a public health crisis by the World Health Organization (WHO), is caused by strains of TB bacteria that do not respond to standard antibiotics, which can lead to treatment failures or death. There were an estimated 490,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant TB in 2016, and 240,000 people died of this strain of the disease. A rarer but particularly dangerous strain that is resistant to more types of antibiotics than typical MDR-TB is called extensively drug-resistant TB or XDR-TB. Approximately 490,000 people developed MDR-TB in 2016 alone. Resistance can also develop among people who fail to take their full course of antibiotics.  

Not consistently, which is why doctors are so concerned. The cure rate for MDR-TB is just over 50 percent. Treatment options are costly and can result in severe side effects including psychiatric abnormalities, liver damage and hearing problems. But new research on treatments for multidrug-resistant TB shows progress in improving outcomes.

As the usual TB drugs don’t work on multidrug-resistant strains, doctors have been testing other antibiotics that show better cure rates and survival. An international team of researchers in a study published Sept. 8 in Lancet reviewed 50 studies covering treatment of more than 12,000 patients in 25 countries, and compiled a database tracking outcomes of each case. They found that promising antibiotics include fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin), a class of drugs commonly used for urinary tract infections, ear infections, and pneumonia. Newer drugs such as carbapenems, often reserved for severe infections, have demonstrated effectiveness as well. These antibiotics have actually helped increase the cure rate for MDR-TB to just about 65 percent.

Physicians are hopeful they can get even more people cured. With better lab technology around the globe, clinicians will have an easier time testing the effectiveness of drugs against this dangerous disease.

If you or anyone you know is exhibiting symptoms of active tuberculosis infection, act fast, and go to the nearest emergency room for evaluation. Rapid treatment is key in the fight against TB.

Dr. Jonathan Steinman is a radiology physician and writer with the ABC News Medical Unit.

 


🕐 Top News in the Last Hour By Importance Score

# Title 📊 i-Score
1 Helicopter Crash Over NYC: What Happened, the Cause & Updates 🔴 80 / 100
2 Idaho makes shock move on vaccine mandates in first-of-its-kind bill 🔴 75 / 100
3 Why Katie Holmes, SJP, Kylie Jenner and other glitzy names are in so many cringe low-budget online ads 🔵 55 / 100
4 Trump turmoil will have a 'chilling effect' on UK growth, says deputy Bank of England governor 🔵 55 / 100
5 Justin Rose storms into three-shot lead after stunning opening round at Augusta – as Rory McIlroy suffers late wobble to dent his hopes of finally ending his Masters drought 🔵 55 / 100
6 New details in Val Kilmer's cause of death revealed days after Top Gun icon's passing aged 65 🔵 52 / 100
7 Penguin crashes helicopter: Bizarre incident after bird nudges the controls 🔵 52 / 100
8 Palestinian teen attacker freed after nine years in Israeli prison 🔵 45 / 100
9 Stripe CEO says he ensures his top leaders interview a customer twice a month 🔵 45 / 100
10 Olivia Munn breaks silence on relationship with surrogate who carried her daughter 🔵 42 / 100

View More Top News ➡️