Whole-genome sequencing to delineate Mycobacterium tuberculosis outbreaks: a retrospective observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Tuberculosis incidence in the UK has risen in the past decade. Disease control depends on epidemiological data, which can be difficult to obtain. Whole-genome sequencing can detect microevolution within Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. We aimed to estimate the genetic diversity of related M tuberculosis strains in the UK Midlands and to investigate how this measurement might be used to investigate community outbreaks.

Methods

In a retrospective observational study, we used Illumina technology to sequence M tuberculosis genomes from an archive of frozen cultures. We characterised isolates into four groups: cross-sectional, longitudinal, household, and community. We measured pairwise nucleotide differences within hosts and between hosts in household outbreaks and

SUBMITTER: Walker TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3556524 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature