Simplified Model to Survey Tuberculosis Transmission in Countries Without Systematic Molecular Epidemiology Programs.

ABSTRACT: Systematic molecular/genomic epidemiology studies for tuberculosis surveillance cannot be implemented in many countries. We selected Panama as a model for an alternative strategy. Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) analysis revealed a high proportion (50%) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates included in 6 clusters (A-F) in 2 provinces (Panama and Colon). Cluster A corresponded to the Beijing sublineage. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) differentiated clusters due to active recent transmission, with low single-nucleotide polymorphism-based diversity (cluster C), from clusters involving long-term prevalent strains with higher diversity (clusters A, B). Prospective application in Panama of 3 tailored strain-specific PCRs targeting marker singl

SUBMITTER: Dominguez J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6390753 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature