World Health Organization Seeks Rapid MDR-TB Test

Posted on June 30, 2008

The BBC reports that the World Health Organization is working with partners to make a rapid test for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The article says it sometimes takes as long as two months to properly diagnose a MDR-TB patient.

MDR-TB responds poorly to standard treatment because of resistance to the first-line drugs isoniazid and rifampicin.
It is estimated only 2% of MDR-TB cases worldwide are being diagnosed and treated appropriately - owing mainly to inadequate laboratory services.
The aim is to increase that proportion over the next four years to at least 15%.
The WHO is working on the new initiatives with the Stop TB Partnership, Unitaid, an international drug purchase facility, and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (Find).
In developing countries most TB patients are tested for MDR-TB only after they fail to respond to a standard treatments.
Even then, it takes two months or more to confirm the diagnosis.

Both TB and MRD-TB can be transmitted when a when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. The CDC has a fact sheet on MDR-TB here.