Drug resistant tuberculosis in New Zealand.

Strains of M. tuberculosis resistant to one or more of the antituberculous drugs have not been common in New Zealand in the past. There is however, a high incidence of drug resistant tuberculosis in Western Samoa, 50 percent of cultures tested showing drug resistance and half of these are resistant to two or more drugs. A change from the usual initial treatment is suggested for Samoan patients with tuberculosis in New Zealand.