Drug Resistant Tuberculosis is a serious public health concern, and its spelling can be tricky. The word "tuberculosis" is pronounced as /tjuːbəˈkjuːləsɪs/ in the IPA phonetic transcription. The term "drug-resistant" comprises two distinct components. "Drug" is pronounced as /drʌɡ/, and "resistant" is pronounced as /rɪˈzɪstənt/. Thus, the correct spelling of this word is "Drug Resistant Tuberculosis," which is pronounced as /drʌɡ rɪˈzɪstənt tjuːbəˈkjuːləsɪs/ in the IPA. It is essential to spell this term correctly to convey important information about this serious medical condition.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a form of tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to at least one of the main anti-TB drugs. TB is an airborne infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs but can also spread to other organs. Standard treatment for TB includes a combination of several anti-TB drugs taken over a course of six to nine months.
Drug resistance occurs when the bacteria responsible for TB develop changes in their genetic material, allowing them to withstand the effects of the drugs designed to kill them. Drug-resistant TB can be classified into two main categories: multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB).
MDR-TB refers to strains of bacteria that are resistant to at least two of the most potent anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. XDR-TB, on the other hand, is MDR-TB strains that are additionally resistant to fluoroquinolones and at least one of the three injectable second-line drugs.
Treating drug-resistant TB is much more challenging and complicated than treating drug-susceptible TB, as it requires the use of second-line drugs that often have more severe side effects and are less effective. The treatment duration can also be significantly longer, sometimes extending to 18-24 months. Therefore, drug-resistant TB poses a major public health concern, as it is associated with higher mortality rates and a higher likelihood of transmission to others. Efficient control measures, including early detection, appropriate treatment strategies, and infection control measures, are crucial to combat this emerging global health threat.