Insights into the genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Tanzania.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Human tuberculosis (TB) is caused by seven phylogenetic lineages of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), Lineage 1-7. Recent advances in rapid genotyping of MTBC based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), allow for phylogenetically robust strain classification, paving the way for defining genotype-phenotype relationships in clinical settings. Such studies have revealed that, in addition to host and environmental factors, strain variation in the MTBC influences the outcome of TB infection and disease. In Tanzania, such molecular epidemiological studies of TB however are scarce in spite of a high TB burden.

Methods and findings

Here we used SNP-typing to characterize a nationwide collection of 2,039 MTBC clinical isolates representative of 1.6% of all

SUBMITTER: Rutaihwa LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6461268 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature