<i>Mycobacterial species</i> isolated, demographic characteristics, symptoms and treatment assigned to each patient.

@<p><i>Mycobacterium species</i> most closely related;</p>*<p>Patients were naïve to TB treatment before they were enrolled in the study and received the TB standard regimen for their disease.</p>$<p>Based on National treatment guidelines for TB, the Standard regimen comprises 2 months of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol and 4 months of isoniazid and rifampin (2RHZE/4RH). Patients with sputum smears positive at month-5 of standard regimen, receive 1 month of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol and streptomycin followed by 2 months of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol and 5 months of rifampin, isoniazid and ethambutol (2RHZES/1RHZE/5RHE called re-treatment regimen). The second line treatment for chronic cases (patients with sputum smears positive after re-treatment regimen) comprises kanamycin, ofloxacin, ethionamide and pyrazinamide (3KOEtZ/18OetZ) for MDR disease. <i>M.af: Mycobacterium africanum</i>; <i>M.tb: Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>; <i>Neg: negative</i>; <i>Pos: positive</i>; <i>AFB: acid-fast bacilli.</i></p

Impact of NTM on TB sputum smears or cultures.

<p><i>NTM: Nontuberculous mycobacteria</i>; <i>MTBC: Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> complex;</p>*<p><i>Pos: positive in at least two occasions</i>;</p>#<p><i>Neg: negative in three occasions</i>.</p

Distribution of patients in the naïve and chronic treatment groups based on culture and susceptibility results.

*<p><i>M. tuberculosis</i> complex,</p>#<p>Resistant to isoniazid and rifampin,</p>@<p>Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.</p