The ERS-endorsed official ATS/CDC/IDSA clinical practice guidelines on treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 9.6 million cases of tuberculosis (TB) occurred in 2014 (corresponding to 133 cases per 100 000 population) with 1.5 million deaths [1]. Furthermore, 3.3% of new and 20% of previously treated cases harbour multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB strains. Eastern European and central Asian countries still have the highest prevalence of MDR-TB. In low TB incidence countries (largely covering North America and Western Europe; figure 1) 155 000 TB cases occur every year with over 10 000 deaths [2]. Updated clinical practice guidelines on TB treatment provide clinical and public health management recommendations The authors wish to thank Rosella Centis and Lia D'Ambrosio, WHO Collaborating Centre for TB and Lung Diseases, Fondazione S. Maugeri, Tradate, Italy for their useful comments and for the editorial support in finalising the manuscript.