Tuberculosis in Oriental immigrants: a study in military dependents.

Tuberculosis in Oriental immigrants is likely to be resistant to therapy with certain drugs. In 73 military dependents with positive cultures for tuberculosis who immigrated from six Asian countries, the tuberculosis was found to be resistant to isoniazid in 58 percent (42 patients), to streptomycin in 36 percent (26 patients), to p-amino-salicylic acid in 14 percent (ten patients), to rifampin in 7 percent (five patients), and to ethambutol in 7 percent (five patients). Despite the presence of drug-resistant organisms and often extensive disease, negative cultures were attained in all but one patient. Consideration of the high incidence of drug-resistant tuberculosis should be made in planning a program of treatment for these patients. Recognition of cultural differences may also be of value in the successful treatment of this difficult group of patients.