First insight into genetic diversity of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in Albania obtained by multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis and spoligotyping reveals the presence of beijing multidrug-resistant isolates

J Clin Microbiol. 2009 May;47(5):1581-4. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02284-08. Epub 2009 Mar 11.

Abstract

We characterized a set of 100 Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex clinical isolates from tuberculosis (TB) patients in Albania, typing them with a 24-locus variable-number tandem-repeat-spoligotyping scheme. Depending on the cluster definition, 43 to 49 patients were distributed into 15 to 16 clusters which were likely to be epidemiologically linked, indicative of a recent transmission rate of 28 to 34%. This result suggests that TB is under control in Albania. However, two multidrug-resistant (MDR) Beijing genotypes harboring the same S531A mutation on the rpoB gene were also found, suggesting a potential recent transmission of MDR TB. Three brand new genotypes, Albania-1 to Albania-3, are also described.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Albania / epidemiology
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques*
  • Cluster Analysis
  • DNA Fingerprinting / methods
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics*
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / genetics
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Minisatellite Repeats
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / classification*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology*

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial
  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases
  • RNA polymerase beta subunit