First insight into Mycobacterium tuberculosis epidemiology and genetic diversity in Trinidad and Tobago

J Clin Microbiol. 2009 Jun;47(6):1911-4. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00535-09. Epub 2009 Apr 29.

Abstract

This report is based on a 1-year recruitment of all of the culture-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases in Trinidad and Tobago (n = 132). The study population was characterized by a high male-to-female sex ratio of 4 and a human immunodeficiency virus-tuberculosis (TB) coinfection rate of 30%. It mainly occurred among African descendants, who represent 37.5% of the total population but 69.7% of all TB cases (P < 0.001). Spoligotyping resulted in 25 different patterns and 12 clusters (2 to 74 strains per cluster), with the predominance of a highly conserved spoligotype international type clone, SIT566.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cluster Analysis
  • DNA Fingerprinting
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Ethnicity
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / classification
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / isolation & purification*
  • Sex Factors
  • Trinidad and Tobago / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial