Global: MDR TB on the rise worldwide

Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is at the highest rate ever seen in the world, according to the largest ever survey on drug resistant TB. Data from South Africa showed that 996 or almost 6% of 17 615 MDR specimens collected between 2004 and October 2007 were extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB. In KwaZulu-Natal 656 (14%) of 4 701 MDR cases recorded in this time period were XDR-TB.