[Posted 03/13/2008] The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its fourth global report, Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance in the World. Based on gathered and extrapolated data, the WHO indicated MDR-TB and XDR-TB (Extensively Drug Resistant TB) are a serious concern in many countries. Travelers to countries where the risk is highest need to be aware of the danger and take precautions.

The WHO estimates that almost 500,000 MDR-TB cases emerged in 2006. In the countries of the former Soviet Union, every fifth case of TB will have MDR-TB. China and India are estimated to have 50% of the global cases, and in China, a high proportion of new cases are drug-resistant. There has been improvement in the commitment to TB control, but more efforts are needed to have an impact on the growing epidemic.

Link to WHO report.