Population Genomics of Mycobacterium leprae Reveals a New Genotype in Madagascar and the Comoros.

ABSTRACT: Human settlement of Madagascar traces back to the beginning of the first millennium with the arrival of Austronesians from Southeast Asia, followed by migrations from Africa and the Middle East. Remains of these different cultural, genetic, and linguistic legacies are still present in Madagascar and other islands of the Indian Ocean. The close relationship between human migration and the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, a well-documented phenomenon, is particularly evident for the causative agent of leprosy, Mycobacterium leprae. In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and molecular dating to characterize the genetic background and retrace the origin of the M. leprae strains circulating in Madagascar (n = 30) and the Comoros (n = 3),

SUBMITTER: Avanzi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7233131 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature