Mycobacterium tuberculosis spoligotypes in Monterrey, Mexico.

Although tuberculosis is still a public health problem in Mexico, there is little information about the genetic characteristics of the isolates. In the present study, we analyzed by spoligotyping 180 Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from the urban area of Monterrey, Mexico, including drug-susceptible and drug-resistant isolates. The spoligotype patterns were compared with those in the international SITVIT2 spoligotyping database.

Genetic characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates with deletions in the plcA-plcB-plcC locus.

Setting: The basis for Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence is not completely understood. Analysis of the genomic structure of clinical isolates will give information that can be related to biological activities involved in virulence.

Objective: To determine the extension of the deletion in the plcA-plcB-plcC locus of selected M.

In vitro susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates to garenoxacin and DA-7867.

The in vitro activities of DA-7867, a novel oxazolidinone, and garenoxacin (BMS-284756) were compared to those of linezolid in 67 susceptible and drug-resistant clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. DA-7867 was the most active drug with an MIC(90) of 0.125 microg/ml, compared to the MIC(90)s of 4 microg/ml of garenoxacin and 2 microg/ml of linezolid.

Viability testing of material derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis prior to removal from a containment level-III laboratory as part of a Laboratory Risk Assessment Program.

Background: In the field of clinical mycobacteriology, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) can be a difficult organism to manipulate due to the restrictive environment of a containment level 3 (CL3) laboratory. Tests for rapid diagnostic work involving smears and molecular methods do not require CL3 practices after the organism has been rendered non-viable. While it has been assumed that after organism deactivation these techniques can be performed outside of a CL3, no conclusive study has consistently confirmed that the organisms are noninfectious after the theoretical 'deactivation' steps.

Evaluation of RIDOM, MicroSeq, and Genbank services in the molecular identification of Nocardia species.

The molecular identification of Nocardia species, when compared to phenotypic identification, has two primary advantages: rapid turn-around time and improved accuracy. The information content in the 5'-end of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene is sufficient for identification of most bacterial species. An evaluation was performed to demonstrate the quality of results provided by two specialized databases (RIDOM and MicroSeq 500 versions 1.

Conventional and molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in Manitoba.

Background: To describe the demographic and geographic distribution of tuberculosis (TB) in Manitoba, thus determining risk factors associated with clustering and higher incidence rates in distinct subpopulations.

Methods: Data from the Manitoba TB Registry was compiled to generate a database on 855 patients with tuberculosis and their contacts from 1992-1999. Recovered isolates of M.