ABSTRACT
There is limited information of level of drug resistance to first-line and second line anti-tuberculosis agents in treatment naive pulmonary tuberculosis [PTB] patients from the Indian region. Therefore, the present prospective study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility to first-line and second line anti-TB drug resistance in such patients. Sputum samples from consecutive treatment naive PTB cases registered in Lala Ram Sarup [LRS] district, under RNTCP containing 12 Directly Observed Treatment Centre's [DOTS], were enrolled using cluster sampling technology. A total of 453 samples were received from July 2011 to June 2012. All samples were cultured on solid medium followed by drug susceptibility to first and second line anti-tubercular drugs as per RNTCP guidelines. Primary multi-drug resistance [MDR] was found to be 18/453; [4.0%]. Extensively drug resistance [XDR] was found in one strain [0.2%], which was found to be resistant to other antibiotics. Data of drug resistant tuberculosis among treatment naive TB patients are lacking in India. The presence of XDR-TB and high MDR-TB in small population studied, calls for conducting systematic multi-centric surveillance across the country