Molecular Epidemiology of Tuberculosis | CDC EID

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Volume 17, Number 3–March 2011
Dispatch
Molecular Epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ximena Gonzalo, Marta Ambroggi, Ezequiel Cordova, Tim Brown, Susana Poggi, and Francis Drobniewski

Author affiliations: Hospital de Infecciosas Francisco Javier Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina (X. Gonzalo, M. Ambroggi, E. Cordova, S. Poggi); and Clinical Sciences Research Center, London, UK (T. Brown, F. Drobniewski)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
To analyze the molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains at a hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and mutations related to multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, we conducted a prospective case–control study. Our findings reinforce the value of incorporating already standardized molecular methods for rapidly detecting resistance.

During the 1990s, an outbreak of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-positive patients occurred at the Muñiz Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1). Molecular analysis showed that a member of Haarlem2 family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was responsible (1).

We conducted a prospective case-control study during June 1, 2006–April 30, 2007, at this 300-bed public hospital, which reports ≈40% of new TB cases in the city (2). Our primary aims were to analyze the molecular epidemiology of M. tuberculosis strains circulating at the hospital and the mutations related to MDR TB and extensively drug-resistant TB.

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Molecular Epidemiology of Tuberculosis | CDC EID



Suggested Citation for this Article
Gonzalo X, Ambroggi M, Cordova E, Brown T, Poggi S, Drobniewski F. Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Mar [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/17/3/528.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1703100394


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Ximena Gonzalo, Laprida 1678, Buenos Aires 1425, Argentina; email: gonzaloximena@hotmail.com