XDR-TB Archives - UCT Lung Institute

18th December 2023

A Big Misconception About the World’s Greatest Infectious Killer

Growing up in India, which for decades has clocked millions of tuberculosis cases each year, Lalita Ramakrishnan was intimately familiar with how devastating the disease can be. The world’s greatest infectious killer, rivaled only by SARS-CoV-2, Mycobacterium tuberculosis spreads through the air and infiltrates the airways, in many cases destroying the lungs.

28th November 2023

In-depth: SA’s remarkable TB clinical trial capacity

One reason why so much TB and HIV research can be done in South Africa is quite simply that we have large epidemics of both diseases here. Around 13% of South Africa’s population are living with HIV.

28th February 2023

Assessing Pretomanid for Tuberculosis (APT)

The paper discussed in today's episode: Assessing Pretomanid for Tuberculosis (APT), a Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Pretomanid-containing Regimens for Drug-sensitive TB: 12-Week Results

25th October 2022

TB is surging again—can lessons from the covid-19 pandemic help?

Our podcast on science and technology. This week, we examine why the pandemic shattered global efforts to control tuberculosis, and ask whether innovations from the covid era could turn the tide against the disease. Podcasts | Babbage - The Economist

5th September 2022

New TB Regimen

TB experts elated as new drug cocktail cuts therapy and reduces side effects Drug-resistant TB remains a public health threat in SA with a cure rate of just more than 50% for MDR and 27% for XDR.

25th September 2018

TB: Everything we have is not enough

The story of Goodman Mkhanda In the world of tuberculosis it is often said that ‘it takes a village to cure TB’, and in the case […]

25th March 2017

Report: Global increase in drug-resistant TB threatens to ruin efforts to eradicate the disease

New antibiotics are becoming available for the first time but without accurate diagnostics, clear treatment guidelines, and improved control efforts, their effectiveness could be rapidly lost […]

24th March 2017

Global rise of multidrug resistant tuberculosis threatens to derail decades of progress

New antibiotics are becoming available for the first time but without accurate diagnostics, clear treatment guidelines, and improved control efforts, their effectiveness could be rapidly lost […]

24th March 2017

Resistance risk for new TB drugs, claims study

TB kills more people every year than any other infectious disease, including AIDS, claims the report. New Delhi: Global rise of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis threatens to derail […]

24th March 2017

South Africa: Latest Transmission Patterns for drug Resistant TB Pose New Challenge

Analysis By Keertan Dheda, University of Cape Town The emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis has resulted in scientists taking a more aggressive and urgent approach to […]

23rd March 2017

Rise of multidrug resistant TB ‘threatens to derail decades of progress’

Tuberculosis is becoming increasingly resistant to drugs worldwide which threatens to derail decades of progress, a report warns. Although new antibiotics are becoming available for the […]

23rd March 2017

Emerging epidemic of multidrug- resistant TB ‘threatens decades of progress’

The global fight to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) is at a critical crossroads, a new report warned today. An emerging epidemic of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant […]

30th January 2017

Fears over rise of incurable TB

URGENT action, including rapid diagnosis, better access to medication, improved home-based care and more community-stay facilities for patients, is crucial in addressing the rising transmission and […]

23rd January 2017

DNA sequencing used to track transmission of incurable TB in South Africa

Cape Town | TB researchers suggest that urgent action, including rapid diagnosis, wider access to newer and repurposed drugs, and bolstering home-based care and building long […]

20th January 2017

DNA-based detection test improves battle strategy against TB by finding undiagnosed cases in the community

Cape Town | A recent randomized controlled trial revealed that 53% more patients initiated therapy for tuberculosis (TB) after a new diagnostic tool (GeneXpert MTB/RIF) was used […]

2nd June 2014

South Africa: The TB Time Bombs

“My life has stopped. I don’t want anyone to go through what I’m going through,” 36-year-old Kirt tells me through the facemask that holds back the […]

22nd January 2014

Patients with deadly TB released in South Africa

The spread of a virtually untreatable form of tuberculosis in South Africa is being fueled by the release of infected patients into the general community, according […]

17th January 2014

SA grapples to mitigate drug-resistant TB – study

Patients with contagious and highly drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) are being routinely discharged from hospitals across South Africa, exposing others in their communities to potentially deadly infections, […]

17th January 2014

Long-term outcomes of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa: a cohort study

Long-term treatment-related outcomes in patients with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis are unknown. We followed up a cohort of patients to address knowledge gaps. Download article The […]

10th May 2011

XDR-TB

Radio Interview with Prof Keertan Dheda on SAFM

15th April 2011

Nuwe masjiene kan MDR-TB gou raaksien (New MDR-TB diagnostic tool)

Splinternuwe masjiene wat vir die eerste keer middelweerstandige tuberkulose (MDR-TB) in staatshospitale kan diagnoseer,isdeurdiedepartementvangesondheid aangekoop. Download article Die Burger, 15 April 2011

21st September 2010

SA Health Workers Getting Deadly TB

UCT researchers have shown that health workers in South Africa are contracting extensively drug-resistent tuberculosis (XDR-TB), the most serious form of the disease that is extremely […]

19th May 2010

XDR tuberculosis in South Africa: old questions, new answers

In The Lancet today, Keertan Dheda and co-authors present an interesting report about early treatment outcomes of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, any […]

1st May 2010

Early treatment outcomes and HIV status of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa: a retrospective cohort study

Data from Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, suggest that almost all patients with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis are HIV-positive, with a fatal outcome. Since, there are few […]

1st May 2010

Multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: a threat to global control of tuberculosis

Although progress has been made to reduce global incidence of drug-susceptible tuberculosis, the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis during the past decade […]