Fourth National Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Survey in Côte d’Ivoire Incorporating Sequencing
Kouassi Raymond N’GUESSAN, Diane Annabelle BAI ORSOT BOSSO, Naminata KARAMOKO BAMBA, Armel Blaise TIOPSOP TSATSOP, ADADE Kouakou Olivier, ADAGRA Guy Damien, EDDYANI Miriam, SALUZZO Francesca, CABIBBE Andrea Maurizio, CIRILLO Daniela Maria, KOUAKOU Kouakou JacqueminBackground:
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) hinders global TB control. Rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) prevalence, in Côte d’Ivoire, was 4.6% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.4–6.7) for new cases and 22% (95% CI: 13.7–30.3) with retreatment cases in 2016. The TB drug resistance survey (DRS) conducted in 2023 aimed to determine the updated prevalence of resistance among new, previously treated TB cases and to characterize the genotypes of circulating
Methods:
A nationwide, cluster-based cross-sectional DRS was conducted in a 6-month timeframe in 44 health facilities across the country, grouped into 45 clusters according to the World Health Organization guidance. Bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB cases were recruited after giving informed consent. Xpert
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MTB/RIF Ultra, Hain MTBDR
Results:
1024 participants were enrolled, 947 (92.5%) were new cases. INH monoresistant TB prevalence was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.6–6.4) in new cases and 5.6% (95% CI: 1.5–18.8) in retreatment cases. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) prevalence was 2.5% (95% CI: 1.7%–3.8%) in new and 14.1% (95% CI: 7.0%–26.5%) in previous treated cases. Among RR-TB, MDR-TB prevalence was 89.5% (95% CI: 73.8–96.3), of whom 2 pre-extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB and 1 XDR-TB were detected. Sequencing revealed a predominant circulation of lineage 4.6.2.2 and 4.1 (28% each) following by lineage 6 (11%).
Conclusion:
Progress has been made in combating TB drug resistance in Côte d’Ivoire compared to the previous DRS. Molecular tools have permitted to detect heteroresistance or mixed infection and the existence of circulating virulent strains associated with alarming rates of drug resistance.