Medical Microbiology

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Susceptibility of a series of routine sputum samples for antituberculosis chemotherapy in Gweru, Zimbabwe
(Health & Medical Publishing Group, 2004) Apers, L. M.; Chihota, V.
Resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to the commonly used antibiotics in national tuberculosis programmes (NTPs) is a growing concern in many parts of the world.1 Nevertheless there is much anecdotal, but little published, evidence that drug resistance is becoming an important barrier to effective TB control.2 In Zimbabwe the only routine source of data on drug resistance that is going further than individual case management is that of the national TB reference laboratory. This institute is performing routine drug susceptibility testing on sputum samples for the whole country. According to the NTBP guidelines, this test is only done on specific indications, i.c. when a sputum-positive patient has not converted to negative after 2 months of intensive antituberculosis chemotherapy.