Primary antituberculous drug resistance in Hawaii, 1957 to 1977.

A study of primary antituberculous drug resistance in Hawaii was conducted from 1957 to 1977 to determine the incidence of primary resistance with respect to time. A total of 1,869 initial cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis submitted to Leahi Hospital in Honolulu were screened to identify drug resistance. Of 256 patients who excreted resistant bacilli, only 55 had no history of previous antituberculous chemotherapy. The frequencies of primary drug resistance from July 1957 to July 1977 were as follows: streptomycin, 0.86 per cent; isoniazid, 1.2 per cent; para-aminosalicylic acid, 1.5 per cent. No strains were resistant to ethambutol or rifampin. A slight decrease in the incidence of drug resistance during a 20-year period was observed. This was especially significant because Hawaii's tuberculosis problem is principally confined to its foreighn-born population. Although no serious primary drug resistance problem was discovered, Hawaii possesses both the highest immigration rate and the highest incidence of tuberculosis in the United states. Therefore, there is a need for continued periodic monitoring of drug resistance in Hawaii.