Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 58, 47-49, 2005
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Short Communication
The Resistance to Major Antituberculous Drugs of Mycobacteirum tuberculosis Strains Isolated from the Respiratory System Specimens of Tuberculosis Patients in Duzce, Turkey
C. Elif Ozturk*, Oner A. Balbay1, Demet Kaya, Ismail Ceyhan2, Ismet Bulut1 and Idris Sahin
Department of Microbiology, 1Department of Chest Diseases, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Duzce School of Medicine, Duzce 81620 and 2Tuberculosis Reference and Research Laboratory, Refik Saydam Hygiene Center, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health, Ankara 06490, Turkey
(Received May 26, 2004. Accepted October 20, 2004)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Duzce School of Medicine, Konuralp-Duzce 81 620, Turkey. Tel: +90-380-541-41-22, Fax: +90-380-541-41-05, E-mail: elifozturk1968@yahoo.com
SUMMARY: Though generally curable, tuberculosis (TB) is becoming increasingly resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB is a consequence of monotherapy, insufficient drug therapy and national TB control programs. The present study was designed to reveal the resistance to major antimicrobial drugs (isoniazid [INH], streptomycin [SM], ethambutol [EMB], and rifampicin [RIF]) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from the respiratory specimens of TB patients in Duzce, Turkey. A total of 62 TB patients (46 male, 16 female; age: 17 - 75 mean: 42 +/- 15.9) were included in the study; 52 (83.8%) were new cases and susceptible to all anti-TB drugs, while 10 (16.2%) were previously treated cases. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed by the proportion method in Lowenstein-Jensen medium. Fifty-two of the 62 (83.8%) isolated M. tuberculosis strains were found to be susceptible to all drugs, and 7 (11.3%), 5 (8%), and 3 (4.8%) were resistant to SM, INH, and RIF, respectively; 3 (4.8%) were MDR. There were no EMB-resistant strains. The results of this study show the presence of drug-resistant and MDR strains of TB at Duzce in the northwest part of Turkey.