Unsuspected and extensive transmission of a drug-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain

doi:10.1186/1471-2466-9-3

BMC Pulmonary Medicine
Volume 9

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López-Calleja AI
Gavín P
Lezcano MA
Vitoria MA
Iglesias MJ
Guimbao J
Lázaro M
Rastogi N
Revillo MJ
Martín C
Samper S

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López-Calleja AI
Gavín P
Lezcano MA
Vitoria MA
Iglesias MJ
Guimbao J
Lázaro M
Rastogi N
Revillo MJ
Martín C
Samper S
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Research article

Unsuspected and extensive transmission of a drug-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain

Ana Isabel López-Calleja¹^,2^,3^,8 , Patricia Gavín¹^,2^,3^,8 , Ma Antonia Lezcano¹^,3 , Ma Asunción Vitoria³^,4 , Ma José Iglesias³^,5 , Joaquín Guimbao⁶ , Ma Ángeles Lázaro⁶ , Nalin Rastogi⁷ , Ma José Revillo¹^,3 , Carlos Martín³^,5 and Sofia Samper¹^,2^,3

¹Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Paseo Isabel la Católica, Zaragoza, Spain

²Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud Avda Gómez Laguna, Zaragoza, Spain

³Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CibeRes) Fundación Caubet-Cimera, Recinto Hospital Joan March, Carretera Soller Km 12, 07110 Bunyola, Mallorca, Spain

⁴Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa Avda Gómez Laguna, Zaragoza, Spain

⁵Departamento de Microbiología, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Zaragoza. c/Domingo Miral, Zaragoza, Spain

⁶Sección de Vigilancia Epidemiológica, Subdirección Provincial de Salud Pública, C/Ramón y Cajal, Zaragoza, Spain

⁷Tuberculosis and Mycobacteria Unit, Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, Morne Joliviere, BP 484, 97183-Abymes, Cedex, Guadeloupe, France

⁸Laboratorio de Salud Pública, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Ramón y Cajal n° 68, 50004 Zaragoza, Spain

author email corresponding author email

BMC Pulmonary Medicine 2009, 9:3doi:10.1186/1471-2466-9-3


Published:	14 January 2009

Abstract

Background

A large and unsuspected tuberculosis outbreak involving 18.7% of the total of the tuberculosis cases studied, was detected in a population-based molecular epidemiological study performed in Zaragoza (Spain) from 2001 to 2004.

Methods

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug-susceptible strain, named MTZ strain, was genetically characterized by IS6110-RFLP, Spoligotyping and by MIRU-VNTR typing and the genetic patterns obtained were compared with those included in international databases. The characteristics of the affected patients, in an attempt to understand why the MTZ strain was so highly transmitted among the population were also analyzed.

Results

The genetic profile of the MTZ strain was rare and not widely distributed in our area or elsewhere. The patients affected did not show any notable risk factor for TB.

Conclusion

The M. tuberculosis strain MTZ, might have particular transmissibility or virulence properties, and we believe that greater focus should be placed on stopping its widespread dissemination.