Isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum of tribal, non-tribal pulmonary tuberculosis patients of Andaman & Nicobar islands by conventional culture method and assessment of first line anti-tuberculosis drug susceptibility patterns

Laboratory finding suggested that nine MDR-TB strains detected in DOTS and Non-DOTS among 60 M. tuberculosis isolates were selected for drug susceptibility testing but two isolates detected as MDR-TB from patients was already on Second line drugs treatment were not included in the MDR-TB detection criteria. Hence 7 patients (11.67%) declared to be Multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). 2 MDR-TB strains with resistant patterns H + r = 1(Cat II-DOTS), Rifampicin resistant alone = 1(Non-DOTS) detected from 12 isolates of Tribal patients from Nicobar district and 5 MDR-TB strains with resistant patterns S + H + R + E = 1 (Cat II-DOTS), H + r = 2(Cat I-DOTS = 1,Non-DOTS = 1), Rifampicin resistant alone = 1 (Cat II-DOTS) and R + E = 1(Cat I-DOTS) detected from 48 isolates of Non-Tribal patients from Andaman district. To assess the MDR-TB burden in the islands, systematic drug resistant surveillance study needs to be conducted.