afrol News / PlusNews, 5 September - 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.

© afrol News / PlusNews

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