MDR TB

MDR TB(multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) is a from of tuberculosis that is resistant to at least two of the best TB drugs. MDR T is considered man made due to mismanged drug treatment. DOT(directly observed treatment) is now used to comat the mismanagement of TB treatment y directly observing the patients taking there drugs. The CDC discoved that the refugees from Thailand had MDR TB and when the CDC investagated the cause and discoved that the refugees where living in conditions that cause the families to become suseptable to TB. The CDC also discovered that most of the MDR TB was of the same strain which ment that there was an oubreak in that particular town.

We should be very concered by MDR TB because it is the result of either not taking the full course of treatment or taking the wrong treatment. MDR TB is more complex to treat and the mortality rate of the disease is higher. The drugs for MDR TB are more expensive and more toxic than those drugs that treat regulare tuberculosis. A lot of people do not really see TB as a disease that they have to worry about because we have the cure but in reality the incident with the refugees from Thailand pointed out it really does not take a lot for one person to infect the people around them. MDR TB is also very dangerous because a person with regualre TB can get MDR TB by not follow the regimented drug treatment and the mortaliy rate and rise drastically.

The emergance of MDR TB has really changed the treatment of other diseases because it shows that even when the right treatment is perscribed it does not necessarily mean that the patient is going to follow the drug regiment which could result in fatel consiquences. One of the causes of MDR TB also shows a huge problem with the patients of other diseases. When a patient thinks they are getting better they stop taking the drugs even when the infection has not been completely removed which leave them wide open for a relaspe; and in most cases relaspes are more aggressive than the origonal diseases themselves.

http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=10188