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Published online 6 July 2007 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news070702-19

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TB diagnosis change causes confusion

Identifying drug-resistant tuberculosis is a global problem.

Researchers were surprised earlier this week when US health authorities declared that Atlanta lawyer Andrew Speaker, the American tourist recently diagnosed with a deadly strain of drug-resistant tuberculosis, doesn't have such an extreme strain after all. Despite a first test in March showing that he had a contracted an extensively drug resistant (XDR) strain before going on holiday, on 3 July the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) downgraded their assessment of his condition to multi-drug resistant (MDR).

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