Unequal distribution of resistance-conferring mutations among Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium africanum strains from Ghana.

Isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RMP) resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) isolates are mainly based on mutations in a limited number of genes. However, mutation frequencies vary in different mycobacterial populations. In this work, we analyzed the distribution of resistance-associated mutations in M.

Origin, spread and demography of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

The evolutionary timing and spread of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), one of the most successful groups of bacterial pathogens, remains largely unknown. Here, using mycobacterial tandem repeat sequences as genetic markers, we show that the MTBC consists of two independent clades, one composed exclusively of M. tuberculosis lineages from humans and the other composed of both animal and human isolates.

Pulmonary tuberculosis: virulence of Mycobacterium africanum and relevance in HIV co-infection.

Although Mycobacterium africanum is being isolated in a significant proportion of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in West Africa, its pathogenic potential remains a matter of discussion. Recent reports leave the question of whether M. africanum causes more severe pathology than M.

Mycobacterium bovis isolates with M. tuberculosis specific characteristics.

Our study is the first report of exceptional Mycobacterium bovis strains that have some characteristics of M. tuberculosis. The strains were isolated from 8 patients living in Kazakhstan.

Rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype strains by real-time PCR.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains of the Beijing genotype were first identified in China and neighboring countries and have attracted special attention due to their global emergence and association with drug resistance. To further analyze the spread and special characteristics of Beijing genotype strains, accurate, rapid and sensitive methods that overcome the drawbacks of the classical methods such as IS6110 DNA fingerprinting or spoligotyping for the identification of strains of this genotype are needed. Based on the nucleotide sequences of M.

The Beijing genotype and drug resistant tuberculosis in the Aral Sea region of Central Asia.

Background: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, dramatically increasing rates of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) have been reported from several countries. This development has been mainly attributed to the widespread breakdown of TB control systems and declining socio-economic status. However, recent studies have raised concern that the Beijing genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis might be contributing to the epidemic through its widespread presence and potentially enhanced ability to acquire resistance.

Characterization of Mycobacterium caprae isolates from Europe by mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit genotyping.

Mycobacterium caprae, a recently defined member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, causes tuberculosis among animals and, to a limited extent, in humans in several European countries. To characterize M. caprae in comparison with other Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex members and to evaluate genotyping methods for this species, we analyzed 232 M.

Use of the genotype MTBDR assay for rapid detection of rifampin and isoniazid resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates.

A commercially available DNA strip assay (Genotype MTBDR; Hain Lifescience, Nehren, Germany) was evaluated for its ability to detect mutations conferring resistance to rifampin (RMP) and isoniazid (INH) in clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates. A total of 103 multidrug-resistant (MDR; i.e.

Identification and characterization of genomic variations between Mycobacterium bovis and M. tuberculosis H37Rv.

Genetic differences between Mycobacterium bovis and M. tuberculosis were identified. We found (i) a deletion of Rv3479 specific to M.

Disequilibrium in distribution of resistance mutations among Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing and non-Beijing strains isolated from patients in Germany.

Genotypic analysis of 103 multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in Germany in 2001 revealed that mutations in codon 531 (75.7%) of the rpoB gene and codon 315 (88.4%) of the katG gene are most frequent.

Conventional and molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in homeless patients in Budapest, Hungary.

In Hungary the incidence of tuberculosis among the homeless population was 676 per 100,000 in 2002. Sixty-nine percent (140 patients) of all homeless tuberculosis patients were notified in Budapest (the capital). Therefore, a retrospective study that included 66 homeless tuberculosis patients notified in Budapest in 2002 was conducted to determine the rate of recent transmission of the disease and medical risk factors and to identify transmission pathways by means of conventional and molecular epidemiologic methods.

Pulmonary tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae in captive Siberian tiger.

We report the first case of pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae in a captive Siberian tiger, an endangered feline. The pathogen was isolated from a tracheal aspirate obtained by bronchoscopy.

Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae caused one-third of human M. bovis-associated tuberculosis cases reported in Germany between 1999 and 2001.

The prevalence of the Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae and M. bovis subsp.