Surveillance of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa through wastewater-based epidemiology.

ABSTRACT: The spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a serious public health issue, particularly in developing nations. The current methods of monitoring drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) using clinical diagnoses and hospital records are insufficient due to limited healthcare access and underreporting. This study proposes using Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) to monitor DR-TB in six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, and South Africa) and examines the impact of treated wastewater on the spread of TB drug-resistant genes in the environment. Using droplet-digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), the study evaluated untreated and treated wastewater samples in selected African countries for TB surveillance. There was a statistically significant difference in concen

SUBMITTER: Mtetwa HN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10412881 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature