Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains potentially involved in the TB epidemic in Sweden a century ago.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

A hundred years ago the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Sweden was one of the highest in the world. In this study we conducted a population-based search for distinct strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolated from patients born in Sweden before 1945. Many of these isolates represent the M. tuberculosis complex population that fueled the TB epidemic in Sweden during the first half of the 20(th) century.

Methods

Genetic relationships between strains that caused the epidemic and present day strains were studied by spoligotyping and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results

The majority of the isolates from the elderly population were evolutionary recent Principal Genetic Group (PGG)2/3 strains (363/409 or 88.8%), and only a low proportio

SUBMITTER: Groenheit R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3466202 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature