The pattern of rpoB gene mutation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and predictors of rifampicin resistance detected by GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay in Tanzania

Antimicrobial resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) poses a significant challenge to tuberculosis (TB) management worldwide. Rifampicin resistance (RR) has been associated with the rpoB gene mutation. No study was conducted in Tanzania to determine the commonest mutation. The inconsistent findings from various studies support the need to determine whether reported mutation patterns are applicable in our setting. We determined the frequency of rpoB gene mutation and factors associated with RR, which were detected using GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving data from the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program database from 2020 to 2022 for cases investigated using GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the frequency of categorical variables. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis assessed the relationship between the independent variables and outcome. The 95% confidence interval and a significance level of p