WHO warns of drug-resistant tuberculosis strain

A highly lethal, drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis could pose a threat to global public health, if Asian nations fail to combat the spread of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday.

The health body said the drug-resistant strain raised the possibility of an epidemic that would be costly and difficult to control, as drugs to treat the condition were about 100 times more costly than the regimen for normal tuberculosis.

WHO added that each untreated patient could infect five to 10 people a year.