摘要
Dear Editor, Tuberculosis （TB） is a formidable challenge to global health and is caused by an ancient pathogen, Mycobacteriurn tuberculosis （WHO, 2010）. In the pre-antibiotic era, TB killed 20% of adults in Europe and North America in the period from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries （Wilson, 2005）. Since antibiotics have been included in TB treatment regi- mens, millions of human lives have been saved by this che- motherapy. However, the standard anti-tuberculosis therapy is only effective for drug-susceptible TB but not for multi-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB. Unfortunately, our knowledge of drug resistance in mycobacteria remains unclear and thus hampers the development of new anti- tubercular drugs. The basic mechanisms of drug resistance in mycobacteria are complicated and the outcome of drug resistance stems from evolution in the final analysis. Under- standing the evolutionary strategies used by M. tuberculosis might give new insights into designing control strategies against M. tuberculosis （Little et al,. 2012）.
Dear Editor, Tuberculosis （TB） is a formidable challenge to global health and is caused by an ancient pathogen, Mycobacteriurn tuberculosis （WHO, 2010）. In the pre-antibiotic era, TB killed 20% of adults in Europe and North America in the period from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries （Wilson, 2005）. Since antibiotics have been included in TB treatment regi- mens, millions of human lives have been saved by this che- motherapy. However, the standard anti-tuberculosis therapy is only effective for drug-susceptible TB but not for multi-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB. Unfortunately, our knowledge of drug resistance in mycobacteria remains unclear and thus hampers the development of new anti- tubercular drugs. The basic mechanisms of drug resistance in mycobacteria are complicated and the outcome of drug resistance stems from evolution in the final analysis. Under- standing the evolutionary strategies used by M. tuberculosis might give new insights into designing control strategies against M. tuberculosis （Little et al,. 2012）.
