Central team says Mumbai cases are in XDR TB category and not TDR TB

A Central team that visited Mumbai to examine the drug resistant tuberculosis cases reported by the Hinduja Hospital has, in its report, said that they fell within the category of Extensively Drug Resistant TB (XDR TB), based on standard World Health Organisation (WHO) definitions, and not at all Totally Drug Resistance TB (TDR TB) cases.

 

The report, which was submitted to Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, also made the point that TDRTB was a "non-standard term", not endorsed by the WHO.

 

It said Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) guidelines for quality diagnosis and management of XDR TB are to be applied in all such cases.

 

The team said diagnosis of XDR TB must be based on microbiological confirmation from accredited national reference laboratories: National Institute of Research in TB - Chennai, National TB Institute -   Bangalore and LRS Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases- New Delhi.