Harnessing NGS technology to expand perspective on drug resistant TB in Malaysia

S4A - Tuberculosis
HARNESSING NGS TECHNOLOGY TO EXPAND PERSPECTIVE ON DRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS IN MALAYSIA

Siti Roszilawati Ramli
Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Health, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

The rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant threat to global health, necessitating advanced diagnostic methods for timely and accurate detection. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has emerged as a powerful tool in the detection and characterization of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This technology enables comprehensive analysis of the entire genome, allowing for the identification of known and novel mutations associated with resistance to anti-TB drugs. By providing high-resolution data, NGS facilitates the understanding of resistance mechanisms and the epidemiology of TB strains. The application of NGS in TB drug resistance detection, underscores advantages over traditional methods, such as rapid turnaround time, high sensitivity, and specificity. The integration of NGS data with clinical and epidemiological information allows us to uncover patterns of transmission and resistance, thereby enhancing our understanding of the local TB landscape.  A study on drug resistant TB using whole genome sequencing was conducted on clinical isolates in central region of West Malaysia illustrated the potential of NGS to revolutionize TB diagnostics and guide personalized treatment strategies, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes and control of TB transmission.