Anti TB drug resistance in Tanga,Tanzania:a cross sectional facility base prevalence among pulmonary TB patients

Objective:To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with drug resistance tuberculosis(TB) at facility-base level in Tanga,Tanzania.Methods:A total of 79 Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) isolates included in the study were collected from among372(312 new and 60 previously treated) TB suspects self referred to four TB clinics during a prospective study conducted from November 2012 to January 2013.Culture and drug susceptibility test of the isolates was performed at the institute of medical microbiology and epidemiology of infectious diseases,University hospital,Leipzig,Germany.Data on the patient's characteristics were obtained from structured questionnaire administered to the patients who gave informed verbal consent.Unadjusted bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the risk factors for drug resistant-TB.The significance level was determined at P<0.05.Results:The overall proportions of any drug resistance and MDRTB were 12.7%and 6.3%respectively.The prevalence of any drug resistance and MDRTB among new cases were 11.4%and 4.3%respectively,whereas among previously treated cases was 22.2%respectively.Previously treated patients were more likely to develop anti-TB drug resistance.There was no association between anti-TB drug resistances(including MDRTB) with the risk factors analysed.Conclusions:High proportions of anti TB drug resistance among new and previously treated cases observed in this study suggest that,additional efforts still need to be done in identifying individual cases at facility base level for improved TB control programmes and drug resistance survey should continuously be monitored in the country.