Bedaquiline resistant tuberculosis: Implication in North Karnataka, India

• Author Details:   
• Nivedita R Dhapalapur
• Tejashree A ^*
• Krishna Karthik M V S
• Sharath Burugina
• Shiva Kumar Shanmugam
• Nirmala A

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Background: The treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is becoming increasingly difficult due to bedaquiline-resistant tuberculosis (BDQ-R TB), especially in areas like Karnataka, India. MDR-TB is treated with BDQ, an innovative drug, but the effectiveness of current treatment plans is in jeopardy due to its growing resistance. The increasing incidence of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Karnataka has sparked worries due to the state's high BDQ-R TB prevalence. Resistant strains are becoming more prevalent due to a number of factors, including inadequate diagnostic infrastructure, poor drug adherence, and incomplete treatment courses.

Aim and Objective: To know the rate of occurrence of bedaquiline resistance among MDR/RR TB isolates.

Materials and Methods: 307 drug-resistant TB isolates of M. tuberculosis were collected from C & DST Lab KMCRI, Hubli, between October 2023 to October 2024. Bed aquiline resistance among MDR/RR TB isolates were determined by DST method.

Results: 256 isolates were tested for BDQ susceptibility using MGIT-based susceptibility testing. 14 (5.4%) of the 256 isolates were found to be BDQ resistant. Ten of the 14 patients with BDQ resistance were men, and four were women.

Conclusion: This abstract provides insight on how BDQ resistance affects MDR-TB treatment and control in Karnataka, highlighting the pressing need for enhanced diagnoses, better surveillance systems, and efficient treatment plans. The results highlight the significance of BDQ resistance management in preventing the spread of highly resistant TB and improving the prognosis of MDR-TB patients in the area.

Keywords: Bedaquiline, Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, Rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, Drug susceptibility testing.