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Objective

To determine the state of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance, and to analyze the trend of drug resistance rate and assess its impact on National TB Programme (NTP).

Methods

392 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from a nationwide epidemiological survey were subjected to susceptibility testing against 6 anti-tuberculosis drugs using the absolute concentration method.

Results

The resistant rate to any drug was 27.8% in all MTB isolates, 18.6% in 263 new cases and 46.5% in 129 previously treated cases. Multi-drug resistant rate (MDR) was 10.7%. Initial and acquired MDR was 7.6% and 17.1%. Any resistance to INH, SM, RFP, PAS-Na, EMB and TB (1) was 17.6%, 17.3%, 16.6%, 2.8%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively. The resistant rates to 1, 2, 3 and 4 or more drugs were 7.6%, 4.6%, 4.6% and 1.9% in new cases and 14.7%, 19.4%, 10.1% and 2.3% in previously treated cases. The initial drug resistant rate did not show significant difference (P> 0.05) among different sex and age groups.

Conclusions

Compared to the previous data, the total drug resistance and initial drug resistance decreased significantly, but were still high. More attention should be paid to the trend of resistance of MTB to first-line drugs and especially the high incidence of MDR-TB.