Incidence of moxifloxacin resistance in clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Houston, Texas.

Comprehensive data on the prevalence of quinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates in the United States are scarce. By use of a systematic population-based approach, M. tuberculosis strains from tuberculosis (TB) cases were collected in Harris County, TX, in 2007 to 2008.

Geographic differences in time to culture conversion in liquid media: Tuberculosis Trials Consortium study 28. Culture conversion is delayed in Africa.

Background: Tuberculosis Trials Consortium Study 28, was a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 2 clinical trial examining smear positive pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Over the course of intensive phase therapy, patients from African sites had substantially delayed and lower rates of culture conversion to negative in liquid media compared to non-African patients. We explored potential explanations of this finding.

Does directly observed therapy (DOT) reduce drug resistant tuberculosis?

Background: Directly observed therapy (DOT) is a widely recommended and promoted strategy to manage tuberculosis (TB), however, there is still disagreement about the role of DOT in TB control and the impact it has on reducing the acquisition and transmission of drug resistant TB. This study compares the portion of drug resistant genotype clusters, representing recent transmission, within and between communities implementing programs differing only in their directly observed therapy (DOT) practices.

Methods: Genotype clusters were defined as 2 or more patient members with matching IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and spoligotype patterns from all culture-positive tuberculosis cases diagnosed between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2001.

Multiphasic approach reveals genetic diversity of environmental and patient isolates of Mycobacterium mucogenicum and Mycobacterium phocaicum associated with an outbreak of bacteremias at a Texas hospital.

Between March and May 2006, a Texas hospital identified five Mycobacterium mucogenicum bloodstream infections among hospitalized oncology patients using fluorescence high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of mycolic acids. Isolates from blood cultures were compared to 16 isolates from environmental sites or water associated with this ward. These isolates were further characterized by hsp65, 16S rRNA, and rpoB gene sequencing, hsp65 PCR restriction analysis, and molecular typing methods, including repetitive element PCR, random amplified polymorphic DNA PCR, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of large restriction fragments.

Using GIS technology to identify areas of tuberculosis transmission and incidence.

BACKGROUND: Currently in the U.S. it is recommended that tuberculosis screening and treatment programs be targeted at high-risk populations.