Genomic analysis of the emergence of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Middle East.

ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) represents a significant challenge to public health authorities, especially with the emergence of drug-resistant (DR) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We sought to examine the genomic variations among recently isolated strains of M. tuberculosis in two closely related countries with different population demography in the Middle East. Clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis from both Egypt and Saudi Arabia were subjected to phenotypic and genotypic analysis on gene and genome-wide levels. Isolates with MDR phenotypes were highly prevalent in Egypt (up to 35%) despite its relatively stable population structure (sympatric pattern). MDR-TB isolates were not identified in the isolates from Saudi Arabia despite its active guest worker program (

SUBMITTER: Alyamani EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6418154 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature