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Govt rethinks new TB strain claims

    JOHANNESBURG

    South Africa's department of health said on Monday that it had put systems in place to monitor the extent of an extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) strain in the east-coast province of KwaZulu-Natal.

    The announcement was made just days after the department said there was no need for alarm over the 153 cases of XDR-TB detected in the province.

    However, after warnings by local researchers that the incidence of XDR-TB could be quickly fuelled by the nation's high prevalence of HIV, the department said it was "working around the clock to address the problem".

    Charity Bhengu, a health department spokesperson, told the South African Press Association that health officials were looking at ways of fast-tracking the registration of two new drugs treat XDR-TB.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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