Cases of tuberculosis (TB) that were multidrug-resistant have risen to "record levels," dpa quoted the World Health Organization as saying today. "In some areas of the world, one in four people with tuberculosis becomes ill with a form of the disease that can no longer be treated with standard drugs regimens," the WHO surveillance report for 2010 said. Breaking another record was an area in north western Russia, where 28 per cent of all people newly diagnosed with TB had the multidrug-resistant form of the disease in 2008. The previous record for any area was 22 per cent. These forms of the disease, the most severe cases of which were first discovered in 2006, can still be countered through strong health systems and surveillance, the WHO said. Poorer countries were in need of assistance for establishing laboratories, carrying out regional checks and combating the disease, the report found. In 2008, there were an estimated 9.4 million new TB cases, and 1.8 million TB deaths.
