Continuous surveillance of drug-resistant TB burden in Rwanda: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background: Since the roll-out of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay, continuous surveillance can provide an estimate of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) prevalence, provided high drug susceptibility testing (DST) coverage is achieved. We use national data from Rwanda to describe rifampicin DST coverage, estimate the prevalence of RR-TB and assess its predictors.

Methods: Routinely collected DST data were entered into an electronic TB case-based surveillance system.

Reduction of diagnostic and treatment delays reduces rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis mortality in Rwanda.

In 2005, in response to the increasing prevalence of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) and poor treatment outcomes, Rwanda initiated the programmatic management of RR-TB, including expanded access to systematic rifampicin drug susceptibility testing (DST) and standardised treatment. To describe trends in diagnostic and treatment delays and estimate their effect on RR-TB mortality. Retrospective analysis of individual-level data including 748 (85.

Diagnostic performance of smear microscopy and incremental yield of Xpert in detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in Rwanda.

Background: Tuberculosis control program of Rwanda is currently phasing in light emitting diode-fluorescent microscopy (LED-FM) as an alternative to Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) smear microscopy. This, alongside the newly introduced Xpert (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is expected to improve diagnosis of tuberculosis and detection of rifampicin resistance in patients at health facilities. We assessed the accuracy of smear microscopy and the incremental sensitivity of Xpert at tuberculosis laboratories in Rwanda.