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Background Tuberculosis (TB) is among the top 10 causes of mortality and the first killer among infectious diseases worldwide. One of the factors fuelling the TB epidemic is the global rise of multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB). The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude and factors associated with MDR-TB in the Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Method This study employed a facility-based cross-sectional study design, which was conducted between July 2018 and August 2019. The inclusion criteria for the study participants were GeneXpert-positive who were not under treatment for TB, PTB patients’ ≥15 years of age and who provided written informed consent. A total of 300 participants were enrolled in the study, with a structured questionnaire used to collect data on clinical, sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Sputum samples were collected and processed for acid-fast bacilli staining, culture and drug susceptibility testing. Drug susceptibility testing was performed using a line probe assay. Logistic regression was used to analyze associations between outcome and predictor variables. Results The overall proportion of MDR-TB was 16.7% (11.6% and 32.7% for new and previously treated patients, respectively). Of the total MDR-TB isolates, 5.3% were pre-XDR-TB. The proportion of MDR-TB/HIV co-infection was 21.1%. A previous history of TB treatment AOR 3.75; 95% CI (0.7–2.24), cigarette smoking AOR 6.09; CI (1.65–2.50) and patients who had an intermittent fever (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.21–5.4) were strongly associated with MDR-TB development. Conclusions The magnitude of MDR-TB observed among new and previously treated patients is very alarming, which calls for an urgent need for intervention. The high proportion of MDR-TB among newly diagnosed cases indicates ongoing transmission, which suggests the need for enhanced TB control program performance to interrupt transmission. The increased proportion of MDR-TB among previously treated cases indicates a need for better patient management to prevent the evolution of drug resistance. Assessing the TB control program performance gaps and an optimal implementation of the WHO recommended priority actions for the management of drug-resistant TB, is imperative to help reduce the current high MDR-TB burden in the study region.

Introduction: Ethiopia stood third in drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in Africa, and more than 5,000 MDR-TB patients are reported each year. Greater than 90% of rifampicin (RIF) resistant strains are resistant to isoniazid (INH) and hence the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of RIF resistant MTB among presumptive TB cases at Dubti General Hospital, Afar, Ethiopia. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 384 presumptive TB cases were recruited and a structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Sputum samples were collected and examined using X-pertMTB/RIF assay. Bivariate, multivariate logistic regressions, and fishers' exact analysis were done to assess the associations between the prevalence of TB and MDR-TB with different socio-demographic and clinical variables. Results: In the present study, the overall prevalence of pulmonary TB was 24.5% (94/384), of this 4 (4.3%) isolates were resistant to RIF. History of anti-TB treatment (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.3-4.4 and TB contact (AOR = 3.6, 95% CI: 2.1-6.2 were significantly associated with gene X-pert MTB/RIF positive TB. Moreover, resistance to rifampicin was statistically associated with the history of TB contact with multi-drug resistant TB (P = 0.027) and khat chewer cases (P = 0.04). Conclusions: The overall prevalence of TB and its drug-resistant were relatively higher than that of in the general population in Ethiopia. History of anti-TB treatment and TB contact were significantly associated with X-pert MTB/RIF positive MDR-TB.