1. How long is the duration of treatment for XDR-TB? At least 2 years (the same as MDR-TB). Doctors will monitor people with any form of confirmed drug resistant TB very carefully. Treatment will continue for as long as it takes for the patient to be cured, if that patient CAN be cured. Because it is so difficult to treat, many people who get drug-resistant TB will not survive.

2. Drug-resistant TB should ALWAYS be managed by - or in close consultation with - a MEDICAL EXPERT in the disease. Fortunately, XDR-TB is still a very rare disease in South Africa – we need to try and keep it that way!

3. If a person is diagnosed with MDR-TB, does he/she have to be admitted to hospital? It depends on the ‘severity of the disease’... An MDR-TB patient does not have to go to hospital if the following apply: He/she can walk and is in a fair to good general condition. He/she is unlikely to spread the disease to other people (is ‘smear negative’). He/she refuses admission or beds are not available in the hospital. He/she has access to stable accommodation (is not homeless) There is someone at home or in the community who will provide treatment support. A patient who refuses to be admitted to hospital will have to have a very good reason why they do not want to go.

4. If a person is diagnosed with XDR-TB, does he/she have to be admitted to hospital? Yes! For how long? It depends on how the person responds to treatment. The doctors may have to try different combinations of injections and tables to see which mixture of treatment works best for an individual patient. Treatment will continue for as long as it takes for the patient to be cured, if that patient CAN be cured.

5. Can an apple seed turn into an apple tree? Why???

6. Can an apple seed turn into a Protea? Why???

7. Can an HIV virus turn into a TB mycobacteria? Why???

8. Can a TB mycobacteria turn into an HIV virus? Why???