Early detection of Pre-XDR TB with line probe assay in a high TB burden country

Abstract

Background: Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death. Drug resistant tuberculosis has lately become a major public health problem that threatens progress made in Tuberculosis (TB) care and control worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Pre-extensive drug resistant TB among MDR TB in North Central of Nigeria.
 Methods: This study was conducted from October, 2018 to August, 2019 with 150 samples. In Nigeria, guidelines for DR-TB as recommended by WHO is followed. All the samples from the patients who gave their consent were transported to a zonal reference TB laboratory (ZRL).
 Results: Mean age was 38.6 ± 13.4 years with peak age at 35-44. Out of these 103 samples processed with LPA, 101(98%) were rifampicin resistant and 2 were rifampicin sensitive, 99(96%) were INH resistant and 4 (4%) were INH sensitive, 5(5%) were fluoroquinolone resistant, 98(95%) were fluoroquinolone sensitive, 12 (12%) were Aminoglycoside + Capreomycin resistant, 91(83%) were Aminoglycoside + Capreomycin sensitive.
 Conclusion: Multidrug resistant TB and its severe forms (Pre-extensive & extensively drug resistant TB) can be detected early with rapid tool- Line Probe Assay rapid and prevented timely by early initiation on treatment.
 Keywords: Pre-XDR TB; line probe assay in a high TB burden country.

Editorial: TB on the rise: but researchers are not sleeping

“…The first TB paper is by Laura Madukaji and colleagues from Nigeria. They report on “Early detection of Pre-XDR TB with line probe assay in a high TB burden country.” 1 This is followed by a paper from Uganda, in which Andrew Kazibwe and colleagues report on “the yield of different active TB case finding interventions in a large urban TB project, in central Uganda.” 2 . They describe the comparative yield of three active case finding interventions: “health facility-based screening, targeted community screening; and household contact tracing.” They discuss the merits and demerits of the different approaches.…”