Trend in rifampicin-, multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in Italy, 2009–2016
Authors: Alessandro Mustazzolu, Emanuele Borroni, Daniela Maria Cirillo, Federico Giannoni, Angelo Iacobino, Lanfranco Fattorini
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2018)

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are rifampicin-resistant (RR), multidrug-resistant (MDR) (strains resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR) (MDR strains resistant to any fluoroquinolone (FQ) and to at least one second-line injectable drug (SLID): kanamycin, capreomycin or amikacin) is a major threat to TB control globally. All three groups require treatment with second-line drugs (SLDs) [1]. We previously reported that MDR- and XDR-TB in Italy occurred mostly in foreign-born persons (FBPs) [2, 3], but no major information on RR, MDR or XDR trends in FBPs and Italian-born persons (IBPs) were shown. Here, we documented these trends from 2009 to 2016 (figure 1). In Italy, rifampicin-resistant and MDR-TB were high in foreign-born persons, but decreased from 2009 to 2016 <http://ow.ly/MrIy30jNjFj> The members of the SMIRA laboratory network are: V. Ghisetti and A. Mondo (Hospital Savoia, Turin); M. Avolio and A. Barbui (Hospital Molinette, Turin); P. Lorenzetti (Hospital of Aosta, Aosta); G. De Renzi and M.G. Chirillo (Hospital of Orbassano, Orbassano); G. Molinari, A. Camaggi and S. Andreoni (Hospital of Novara, Novara); F. Piana (Hospital of Cuneo, Cuneo); A. Marchese, P. Gritti, G. Icardi and O. Varnier (Hospital San Martino, Genoa); E. Mazzola and G. Gesu (Hospital Niguarda, Milan); P. Cichero (Hospital San Raffaele, Milan); A. Lombardi (Hospital Sacco, Milan); E. Libanori, P. Viggiani and S. De Lorenzo (Hospital of Sondalo, Sondalo); G. Pinsi (Spedali Civili, Brescia); P. Marone, V. Monzillo and D. Barbarini (Hospital San Matteo, Pavia); C. Farina and M. Arosio (Hospital Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo); M. Peracchi and R. Manganelli (Hospital of Padova, Padua); C. Fabris, M. Di Santolo and M. Busetti (Hospital of Trieste, Trieste); C. Scarparo and A. Sartor (Hospital of Udine, Udine); C. Pedrotti and I. Caola (Hospital of Trento, Trent); E. Frizzera (Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano); P. Dal Monte (Hospital San Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna); P. Pietrosemoli, M. Pecorari, A. Fabio and A. la Regina (Hospital of Modena, Modena); M. Matteucci (Area Vasta Romagna, Pievesestina, Cesena); C. Piersimoni (Hospital of Ancona, Ancona); A. Bartolesi, R. Mannino, T. Simonetti and E. Tortoli (Hospital Careggi, Florence); L. Rindi (University of Pisa, Pisa); A. Mencacci, E. Cenci, E. Luciano and R. Mazzolla, (Hospital of Perugia, Perugia); I. Sanguigni, G. Parisi, P. Chiaradonna and A.M. Altieri (H. San Camillo-Forlanini, Rome); S. D'Arezzo, A. Mazzarelli, A. Di Caro and E. Bordi (Hospital Spallanzani, Rome); M. Sali, G. Delogu and M. Sanguinetti (Hospital Gemelli, Rome); C. Russo, L. Coltella and A. Ciocco (Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome); M. Meledandri (Hospital San Filippo Neri, Rome); A. Gambi and G. Tomei (Hospital of Chieti, Chieti); M. Conte, G. Santoro and A. del Giudice (Hospital dei Colli, Naples); N. Nuzzolese, E. Vitullo, A. Sinno and L. Buono (Hospital of Matera, Matera); D. Costa (Hospital of Bari, Bari); A. Grimaldi (Hospital of Triggiano, Bari); A. Di Taranto and R. De Nittis (Hospital of Foggia, Foggia); G. Palumbo (Hospital of Lecce, Lecce); S. Dodaro, C. Giraldi and P. Cavalcanti (Hospital of Cosenza, Cosenza); S. Nisticò and L. Vinci (Hospital of Lamezia Terme, Lamezia Terme); C. Di Naso (Hospital Garibaldi Centro, Catania); C. Bonura, C.M. Maida and C. Mammina (Hospital Giaccone of Palermo, Palermo); and G.S. Podda and R. Caddeu (Hospital of Cagliari, Cagliari).