Totally drug-resistant and extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis: the same disease?

The present debate on the new definition has an advocacy taste on top of its scientific interest. Looking at the media messages reported worldwide over the last weeks, we realized that the terms TDR tuberculosis and XXDR tuberculosis were used to generate interest in the average news reader—as well as probably anxiety or panic. The tuberculosis control community needs clear definitions, which reflect clinical and operational facts and support the laboratory, clinical, and public health efforts to prevent the emergence of drug resistance and to cure the resistant cases we have already produced.