3 research outputs found
RFLP clusters of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from the Indian Ocean Region: local and South Asian characteristics
This is the first study describing the genetic polymorphism of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in the Indian Ocean Region. Using
IS6110 RFLP analysis, 475 M. tuberculosis isolates from Madagascar,
Comoros, Mauritius, Mozambique and La Reunion were compared. Of the 332
IS6110 profiles found, 43 were shared by clusters containing 2-65
strains. Six clusters were common to at least two countries. Of 52
families of strains with similar IS6110 profiles, 10 were common to at
least two countries. Interestingly, another characteristic was the
frequency (16.8%) of IS6110 single-copy strains. These strains could be
distinguished using the DR marker. This preliminary evaluation suggests
genetic similarity between the strains of the Indian Ocean Region.
However, additional markers would be useful for epidemiological studies
and to assess the ancient transmission of strains between countries of
this region