Tuberculosis and Mycobacteria

Surveillance and Tracking of Drug-Resistant TB

Systematic surveillance and tracking of drug-resistant TB helps in understanding the overall burden of the disease and can inform research and practice in diagnosis, treatment, and infection control. Speakers at the workshop described various approaches being taken to advance the tracking of drug-resistant TB in South Africa. This chapter summarizes those presentations. The first section reviews the use of genetic fingerprinting methodologies to understand the genotype and physiology of the various drug-resistant TB strains found in South Africa. The second section describes a clinical screening tool that has been developed to intensify TB case finding. The final section addresses the need for information systems to increase laboratory capacity.