This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mathema, B.
Right arrow Articles by Kreiswirth, B. N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mathema, B.
Right arrow Articles by Kreiswirth, B. N.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2006, p. 658-685, Vol. 19, No. 4
0893-8512/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00061-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Molecular Epidemiology of Tuberculosis: Current Insights

Barun Mathema,1,2 Natalia E. Kurepina,1 Pablo J. Bifani,3 and Barry N. Kreiswirth1*

Tuberculosis Center, Public Health Research Institute, Newark, New Jersey,1 Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York,2 Molecular Pathology of Tuberculosis, Pasteur Institute, Brussels, Belgium3

Molecular epidemiologic studies of tuberculosis (TB) have focused largely on utilizing molecular techniques to address short- and long-term epidemiologic questions, such as in outbreak investigations and in assessing the global dissemination of strains, respectively. This is done primarily by examining the extent of genetic diversity of clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When molecular methods are used in conjunction with classical epidemiology, their utility for TB control has been realized. For instance, molecular epidemiologic studies have added much-needed accuracy and precision in describing transmission dynamics, and they have facilitated investigation of previously unresolved issues, such as estimates of recent-versus-reactive disease and the extent of exogenous reinfection. In addition, there is mounting evidence to suggest that specific strains of M. tuberculosis belonging to discrete phylogenetic clusters (lineages) may differ in virulence, pathogenesis, and epidemiologic characteristics, all of which may significantly impact TB control and vaccine development strategies. Here, we review the current methods, concepts, and applications of molecular approaches used to better understand the epidemiology of TB.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Tuberculosis Center, Public Health Research Institute, Newark, NJ 07103. Phone: (973) 854-3240. Fax: (973) 854-3241. E-mail: barry{at}phri.org.

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2006, p. 658-685, Vol. 19, No. 4
0893-8512/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00061-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kaser, M., Hauser, J., Pluschke, G. (2009). Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on the Road to Strain Differentiation in Mycobacterium ulcerans. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 3647-3652 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kaser, M., Gutmann, O., Hauser, J., Stinear, T., Cole, S., Yeboah-Manu, D., Dernick, G., Certa, U., Pluschke, G. (2009). Lack of Insertional-Deletional Polymorphism in a Collection of Mycobacterium ulcerans Isolates from Ghanaian Buruli Ulcer Patients. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 3640-3646 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Luciani, F., Sisson, S. A., Jiang, H., Francis, A. R., Tanaka, M. M. (2009). The epidemiological fitness cost of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106: 14711-14715 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stavrum, R., Mphahlele, M., Ovreas, K., Muthivhi, T., Fourie, P. B., Weyer, K., Grewal, H. M. S. (2009). High Diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Genotypes in South Africa and Preponderance of Mixed Infections among ST53 Isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 1848-1856 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mathys, V., Wintjens, R., Lefevre, P., Bertout, J., Singhal, A., Kiass, M., Kurepina, N., Wang, X.-M., Mathema, B., Baulard, A., Kreiswirth, B. N., Bifani, P. (2009). Molecular Genetics of para-Aminosalicylic Acid Resistance in Clinical Isolates and Spontaneous Mutants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 2100-2109 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Reed, M. B., Pichler, V. K., McIntosh, F., Mattia, A., Fallow, A., Masala, S., Domenech, P., Zwerling, A., Thibert, L., Menzies, D., Schwartzman, K., Behr, M. A. (2009). Major Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lineages Associate with Patient Country of Origin. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 1119-1128 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Augustynowicz-Kopec, E., Jagielski, T., Zwolska, Z. (2008). Genetic Diversity of Isoniazid-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates Collected in Poland and Assessed by Spoligotyping. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46: 4041-4044 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jeon, B. Y., Derrick, S. C., Lim, J., Kolibab, K., Dheenadhayalan, V., Yang, A. L., Kreiswirth, B., Morris, S. L. (2008). Mycobacterium bovis BCG Immunization Induces Protective Immunity against Nine Different Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains in Mice. Infect. Immun. 76: 5173-5180 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Davies, G R, Squire, S B (2008). Doubts about DOTS. BMJ 336: 457-458 [Full Text]  
  • Durmaz, R., Zozio, T., Gunal, S., Allix, C., Fauville-Dufaux, M., Rastogi, N. (2007). Population-Based Molecular Epidemiological Study of Tuberculosis in Malatya, Turkey. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 4027-4035 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dahle, U. R., Eldholm, V., Winje, B. A., Mannsaker, T., Heldal, E. (2007). Impact of Immigration on the Molecular Epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Low-Incidence Country. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 176: 930-935 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Flores, L., Van, T., Narayanan, S., DeRiemer, K., Kato-Maeda, M., Gagneux, S. (2007). Large Sequence Polymorphisms Classify Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains with Ancestral Spoligotyping Patterns. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 3393-3395 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»