Drug-Resistant TB Found in Netherlands

The Netherlands is reporting its first outbreak of a strain of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB), prompting officials to express concern about a wider outbreak once the European Union expands eastward. An eastern European TB patient has infected six Dutch citizens, two of whom have developed pulmonary TB, according to the Dutch Tuberculosis Foundation.

The World Health Organization on Tuesday issued a report estimating that 300,000 new cases of MDRTB are occurring globally each year, with 79 percent of these showing resistance to three or more drugs. WHO said the strain is most common in countries of the former Soviet Union, particularly Kazakhstan, and in Israel.

The Dutch outbreak is under control "thanks to the swift action by the regional municipal health services," said Jaap Broekmans, director of the foundation, who expressed concern about the May 1 opening of borders to people from eastern Europe, where the chance of developing MDRTB is 10 times higher than elsewhere. Dutch authorities are preparing for a more serious outbreak with the influx of infected newcomers, Broekmans said.

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