Opportunistic Infections: TB, HIV, and XDR TB

Data presented at the 15th Retrovirus Conference highlighted the importance of strengthening airborne infection-control practice and relying less on hospital TB care, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) has emerged as a major clinical and public health challenge, particularly in areas of sub-Saharan Africa that have a high prevalence of HIV infection. At the 15th Retrovirus Conference, new information was presented about the burgeoning epidemic of drug-resistant TB worldwide and about the development of several promising new TB drugs.

In November 2006, we reported a highly fatal outbreak of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB in a rural subdistrict of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; all of the cases occurred among HIV-infected persons, and there was strong evidence of nosocomial transmission existed (ACC Nov 13 2006). Since then, the number of new cases in this subdistrict has cont…

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Gerald H. Friedland, MD

Opportunistic Infections: TB, HIV, and XDR TB

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