Drug Resistance in Patients With Leprosy in the United States

Williams, Diana L.
Lewis, Cheryl
Sandoval, Felipe G.
Robbins, Naoko
Keas, Stephen
Gillis, Thomas P.
Scollard, David M.

¹Laboratory Research Branch
²Clinical Branch, National Hansen's Disease Programs, Healthcare Systems Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Correspondence: Diana L. Williams, PhD, Laboratory Research Branch, Molecular Research Section, SVM-LSU, Skip Bertman Dr, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 ([email protected]).

Received June 27, 2013

Accepted September 5, 2013

Clinical Infectious Diseases 58(1):p 72-73, January 1, 2014. | DOI: 10.1093/cid/cit628

Molecular drug susceptibility testing was performed on 39 US patients with leprosy. Of these, 2 had dapsone-resistant Mycobacterium leprae and 1 of these patients also had rifampin-resistant M. leprae. Even though antileprosy drug resistance occurs in this leprosy population, resistance does not appear to be a major problem.