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Extremely dangerous TB strain detected in Botswana
Two cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) have been confirmed in Botswana, health officials said.
"The two cases were picked up during a routine survey for multidrug- resistant TB (MDR-TB)," Setshwano Mokgweetsinyana of the Department of Public Health, told IRIN. The survey also confirmed 100 cases of MDR-TB.
MDR-TB strains cannot be treated by at least two of the main first-line TB drugs, while XDR-TB is resistant to most first and second-line drugs, severely limiting treatment options. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), XDR-TB strains have now been detected in 41 countries, including South Africa and Mozambique. Most southern African countries lack the laboratory facilities to detect XDR-TB.
