Drug resistance in newly discovered untreated tuberculosis patients in Poland, 1974-1977.

Between March 1974 and November 1977 altogether 2568 strains from 509 newly discovered, previously untreated tuberculosis patients from many areas of Poland were tested for susceptibility to 4 antituberculosis drugs: isoniazid (INH), streptomycin (SM), ethambutol (EMB) and rifampicin (RMP). Twenty seven patients (5.3 %) were infected with tubercle bacilli resistant to 1 (4.1 %) or 2 drugs (1.2 %). Sixteen patients (3.1 %) were infected with strains resistant to INH alone; t (1.0 %) to SM alone and 6 (1.2 %) to both INH and SM. Twenty two cases (4.3 %) were resistant to INH and 11 cases (2.1 %) to SM. No bacilli resistant to EMB or RMP, alone or in combination, were found. No relationship was found between sex or age and primary resistance rates.