New study reveals alarming levels in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America that are resistant to four powerful antibiotics

Prevalence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR- TB) is increasing due to expanded use of second-line drugs in people suffering from multidrug-resistant (MDR) diseases, reveals a new study. This large, prospective study of resistance to second-line drugs for MDR-TB shows that the prevalence of resistance is high (43.7 per cent) and that the risk of XDR-TB (6.7 per cent) in the eight countries studied is worrying.