Emerging Infectious Diseases (Mar 2019)

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains, Tunisia, 2012–2016

  • Imen Bouzouita,
  • Andrea Maurizio Cabibbe,
  • Alberto Trovato,
  • Henda Daroui,
  • Asma Ghariani,
  • Basma Midouni,
  • Leila Essalah,
  • Emna Mehiri,
  • Daniela Maria Cirillo,
  • Leila Slim Saidi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2503.181370
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 3
pp. 547 – 550

Abstract

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To investigate transmission of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Tunisia, we performed whole-genome sequencing on 46 multidrug-resistant strains isolated during 2012–2016. Core-genome multilocus sequence typing grouped 30 strains (65.2%) into 3 clusters, indicating extensive recent transmission and Haarlem clone predominance. Whole-genome sequencing might help public health services undertake appropriate control actions.

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