Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in migrants

Between 1986 and 1989 three Vietnamese migrants presented at the Perth Chest Clinic with multiple-drug resistant tuberculosis of the lungs. This resistance was to both rifampicin and isoniazid in addition to other antituberculous drugs. Although all three had a long history of past intermittent treatment for tuberculosis and extensive active disease, they were not detected in spite of what should have been adequate premigration screening. This report is to alert those medical personnel concerned with the process of migrant health screening and surveillance. The implications of such multi-drug resistant disease on tuberculosis control in Australia is also briefly discussed.