epidemiology

Last reviewed 01/2018

epidemiology

Globally, 5% of TB cases were estimated to have had MDR-TB in 2013 (3.5% of new and 20.5% of previously treated TB cases).

Drug resistance surveillance data show that an estimated 480 000 people developed MDR-TB in 2013 and 210 000 people died.

Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) has been reported by 100 countries in 2013.

• on average, an estimated 9% of people with MDR-TB have XDR-TB.

If all notified TB patients (6.1 million, new and previously treated) had been tested for drug resistance in 2013, an estimated 300 000 cases of MDR-TB would have been detected.

• 136 000 of the estimated 300 000 MDR-TB patients who could have been detected were diagnosed and notified
• this represents a tripling in MDR-TB detection compared with 2009.

27 high burden countries for MDR-TB have been recognised which accounts for more than 85% of cases

• highest number of cases were reported from China, India, and the Russian Federation
• the highest proportions are found in eastern Europe and Central Asia, with around 20% of new cases and 50% of previously treated cases having MDR-TB

In the UK

• 1.4% of new and 5.7% of previously treated patients have MDR-TB
• 89% of these patients are born outside the United Kingdom 

Reference:

• (1) World Health Organization (WHO) 2014. Multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB)
• (2) Millard J, Ugarte-Gil C, Moore DA. Multidrug resistant tuberculosis. BMJ. 2015;350:h882.