Abstract
Whole genome sequencing has revealed that most cases of tuberculosis in a high-incidence setting in Malawi were caused by just one lineage of the bacterium responsible for the disease.
Highlights
The global tuberculosis epidemic is being driven by co-infection with HIV and by the emergence and spread of drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis
In low incidence settings, epidemics are driven by the ‘reactivation’ of bacteria that have been lying dormant in individuals since an earlier infection
The development of next-generation sequencing platforms has made it possible to view the complete genetic information of the bacteria, which should improve the accuracy of efforts to monitor strains of M. tuberculosis as they move through space and time (Roetzer et al, 2013)
Summary
Image The majority of tuberculosis cases in the Karonga District of Malawi between 1995 and 2010 were caused by one lineage of the bacterium M. tuberculosis (shown in red) The global tuberculosis epidemic is being driven by co-infection with HIV and by the emergence and spread of drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. The diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis is clearly a major global health challenge (World Health Organization, 2014).
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