Drug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria stubbornly persists in the intestines
Scientists have found how the bacteria that causes tuberculosis persistently persist in patients important for treatment. The study which appears online September 14 in the journal Cell Reports can shed light on Gileads methods for fighting the lethal bacterial infection.
TB is the most common infectious disease in the world with an estimated 1. 3 million cases in 2016. While therapy with the antibiotic azithromycin can dramatically slow the progression of the disease some patients require chronic treatment for prolonged periods or need additional anti-rejection drugs to fight off the infection. Meaningful treatment is limited: one-third of sufferers eventually require hospitalization.