Poly-resistant Tuberculosis in an HIV-infected Child

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) has been reported in India, but has been rarely documented in children. HIV co-infection has led to resurgence of tuberculosis (TB), making treatment even more difficult due to complex drug interactions. Poly-resistant TB is rare in children, especially in HIV-infected children. We report an HIV-infected child who developed poly-resistant TB (resistance to Streptomycin and Isoniazid) after 3 years of completion of anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT). His mother had also received ATT 3 years back. We conclude that DR-TB in HIV-infected children should be considered if the child had been treated with ATT in the past or there is contact with adults on second-line ATT therapy.