Transmission of Bedaquiline-resistant <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Bedaquiline is a critical component of new drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) treatment regimens. Emergence of bedaquiline-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) threatens to undermine already limited treatment options. Understanding the evolution and transmission of bedaquiline-resistant strains is a high priority for TB control.

Objectives

We evaluated the prevalence, strain genetic diversity, and transmission of bedaquiline resistance among people with DR-TB.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study of all patients diagnosed with TB resistant to a fluoroquinolone or a second-line injectable drug in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, between 2018 and 2022. We utilized whole genome sequencing (WGS), SNP-based clustering, and Bayesian r

SUBMITTER: Sobol R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12637405 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature