Age and sex distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and rifampicin resistance in Myanmar as detected by Xpert MTB/RIF

Background Detection of tuberculosis disease (TB) and timely identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains that are resistant to treatment are key to halting tuberculosis transmission, improving treatment outcomes, and reducing mortality. Methods We used 332,657 Xpert MTB/RIF assay results, captured as part of the Myanmar Data Utilization Project, to characterize Mtb test positivity and rifampicin resistance by both age and sex, and to evaluate risk factors associated with rifampicin resistance. Results Overall, 70% of individuals diagnosed with TB were males. Test positivity was higher among males (47%) compared to females (39%). The highest positivity by age occurred among individuals aged 16-20, with test positivity for females (65%) higher than for males (57%). Although a greater absolute number of males were rifampicin resistant, a greater proportion of females (11.4%) were rifampicin resistant as compared to males (9.3%). In the multivariate model, history of previous treatment, age less than 30, testing in the Yangon region, and female sex were significantly positively associated with rifampicin resistance after adjusting for HIV status and year test was performed. Conclusions Our results indicate that young adults were more likely to test positive for TB and be identified as rifampicin resistant compared to older adults.