The New Profile Of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis In Russia

An estimated 2 billion people, one third of the global population, are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Spread through the air, this infectious disease killed 1.7 million in 2009, and is the leading killer of people with HIV. Tuberculosis (TB) is also a disease of poverty-the vast majority of tuberculosis deaths occur in the developing world. Exacerbating the devastation caused by TB is the growing threat of drug-resistant forms of the disease in many parts of the world. Drug-resistant tuberculosis presents a number of significant challenges in terms of controlling its spread, diagnosing patients quickly and accurately, and using drugs to treat patients effectively. In Russia in recent decades, the rise of these strains of TB, resistant to standard antibiotic treatment, has been exacerbated by the occurrence of social, political, and economic upheavals. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation, in conjunction with the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences held a workshop to discuss ways to fight the growing threat of drug-resistant TB. The New Profile of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Russia: A Global and Local Perspective: Summary of a Joint Workshop presents information from experts on the nature of this threat and how it can be addressed by exploring various treatment and diagnostic options.

An estimated 2 billion people, one third of the global population, are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Spread through the air, this infectious disease killed 1.7 million in 2009, and is the leading killer of people with HIV. Tuberculosis (TB) is also a disease of poverty--the vast majority of tuberculosis deaths occur in the developing world. Exacerbating the devastation caused by TB is the growing threat of drug-resistant forms of the disease in many parts of the world. Drug-resistant tuberculosis presents a number of significant challenges in terms of controlling its spread, diagnosing patients quickly and accurately, and using drugs to treat patients effectively. In Russia in recent decades, the rise of these strains of TB, resistant to standard antibiotic treatment, has been exacerbated by the occurrence of social, political, and economic upheavals. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation, in conjunction with the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences held a workshop to discuss ways to fight the growing threat of drug-resistant TB. This book presents information from experts on the nature of this threat and how it can be addressed by exploring various treatment and diagnostic options.

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death in the world today, with 4,500 people dying from the disease every day. Many cases of TB can be cured by available antibiotics, but some TB is resistant to multiple drugs-a major and growing threat worldwide. The Institute of Medicine's Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation hosted a workshop on November 5, 2008, to address the mounting concern of drug-resistant TB. The session brought together a wide range of international experts to discuss what is known and not known about this growing threat, and to explore possible solutions.

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.

Tuberculosis emerged as an epidemic in the 1600s, began to decline as sanitation improved in the 19th century, and retreated further when effective therapy was developed in the 1950s. TB was virtually forgotten until a recent resurgence in the U.S. and around the worldâ€"ominously, in forms resistant to commonly used medicines. What must the nation do to eliminate TB? The distinguished committee from the Institute of Medicine offers recommendations in the key areas of epidemiology and prevention, diagnosis and treatment, funding and organization of public initiatives, and the U.S. role worldwide. The panel also focuses on how to mobilize policy makers and the public to effective action. The book provides important background on the pathology of tuberculosis, its history and status in the U.S., and the public and private response. The committee explains how the U.S. can act with both self-interest and humanitarianism in addressing the worldwide incidence of TB.

The emergence of extensively drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis, especially in countries with a high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus, is a serious threat to global public health and jeopardizes efforts to effectively control the disease. This publication offers updated recommendations for the diagnosis and management of drug-resistant tuberculosis in a variety of geographical, economic and social settings, and the recording of data that enables the monitoring and evaluation of programs.--Publisher's description.

This 2011 update of Guidelines for the programmatic management of drug-resistant tuberculosis is intended as a tool for use by public health professionals working in response to the Sixty-second World Health Assembly's resolution on prevention and control of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Resolution WHA62.15, adopted in 2009, calls on Member States to develop a comprehensive framework for the management and care of patients with drug-resistant TB. The recommendations contained in these guidelines address the most topical questions concerning the programmatic management of drug-resistant TB: case-finding, multidrug resistance, treatment regimens, monitoring the response to treatment, and selecting models of care. The guidelines primarily target staff and medical practitioners working in TB treatment and control, and partners and organizations providing technical and financial support for care of drug-resistant TB in settings where resources are limited.

Data are rapidly accumulating from all over the world regarding the efficacy of standardized treatment regimens for drug-sensitive, drug-resistant TB and latent TB infection. While we are facing the menace of multi drug-resistant TB [MDR-TB], extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis [XDR TB] has emerged threatening to undermine global efforts at TB control. Hence we have included chapters to cover all aspects of the diagnosis and management of MDR TB. This book will cover all these developments in great detail. With the widespread availability of internet globally various standard web resources available on TB have also been included so that the readers may get the comprehensive and updated guidelines from these resources. The changing clinical presentation of TB, advances in laboratory, imaging diagnostic modalities, therapeutic measures and emergence of MDR TB all suggest a pressing need to have a updated book on TB. Furthermore, while all physicians encounter the TB disease in their clinical practice, there have been a lot of controversies and misconceptions over various issues for the diagnosis and management of TB. Paucity of a well referenced, updated, standard book of TB has prompted us to undertake this venture sharing the clinical experience of global experts of TB. Our book contains chapters on epidemiology, immune-pathology, diagnosis, treatment and latest advances for TB, highlighting the global perspective of tuberculosis. World-wide resurgence of MDR TB indicates that the battle against this foe of mankind will continue in the coming years. TB still remains to be a research priority of paramount importance from medical, social and financial aspects and we have attempted to highlight all the aspects for the treatment of TB. We believe that this book will serve as a practical guide for the diagnosis and management of TB for practicing physicians (especially pulmonologists and internists) and all those who are involved in the management of TB.