Information on all cases of TB confirmed by culture at a network of specialist mycobacterial reference laboratories is collated at the HPA's Health Protection Services division in London.  Information on isolates includes species (M. tuberculosis, M. bovis or M. africanum), drug sensitivity results, and some demographic and clinical data.

The reference laboratories contributing to MycobNet are:

• HPA National Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory (NMRL), London
• Regional Centres for Mycobacteriology, Birmingham and Newcastle
• Royal Brompton Hospital Microbiology Department, London
• Wales Centre for Mycobacteriology, Cardiff
• Scottish Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory, Edinburgh
• Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Belfast

The information from MycobNet is used to monitor trends in TB drug resistance in the UK, and is the basis of surveillance of M. bovis disease in humans. 

The data presented below provide drug resistance data amongst laboratory isolates since 1994.  Since 1999, data from MycobNet have been matched to detailed case report data from Enhanced TB Surveillance - please refer to the drug resistance pages under Enhanced TB surveillance.

• TB drug resistance trends since 1994
  Trends in tuberculosis drug resistance among UK reference laboratory isolates since 1994.
  Added/updated: 7 April 2011