Whole genome sequence of Mycobacterium kansasii isolates of the genotype 1 from Brazilian patients with pulmonary disease demonstrates considerable heterogeneity

Mycobacterium kansasii is an opportunistic pathogen and one of the most commonly encountered species in individuals with lung disease. We here report the complete genome sequence of 12 clinical isolates of M. kansasii from patients with pulmonary disease in Brazil.

Resistencia a drogas de segunda línea en cepas peruanas de Mycobacterium tuberculosis multidrogorresistentes / Resistance to second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs among peruvian multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains

Objetivos. Determinar los perfiles de resistencia de las quinolonas; ciprofloxacina (Cpx), ofloxacina (Ofx), gatifloxacina (Gfx) y moxifloxacina (Mfx), y de los inyectables; kanamicina (Km), amikacina (Am) y capreomicina (Cm) en cepas multidrogorresistente (MDR). Se buscó la presencia de mutaciones en los genes rrs,tlyA y gyrA/B, y su posible asociación con la resistencia a inyectables y quinolonas. Materiales y métodos. En este estudio piloto descriptivo se seleccionaron cepas MDR aisladas durante junio a diciembre de 2004, que fueron criopreservadas en el banco de muestras del Instituto de Medicina Tropical ôAlexander von Humboldtõ en Lima, Perú. Se determinó la concentración mínima inhibitoria (CMI) para Cpx, Ofx, Gfx, Mfx, Km, Am y Cm. Se investigó las mutaciones presentes en los genes rrs, tlyA y gyrA/B a través de un PCR convencional y posterior secuenciamiento de los productos obtenidos. Resultados. Cuatro de los once aislados presentaron resistencia contra los inyectables y en todas se observó una alta CMI; >120 ug/mL para Km y >160 ug/mL para Am y Cm. Solo dos aislados presentaron resistencia a Ofx con un CMI = 4 ug/mL. Los resultados de secuenciamiento sugirieron que la mutación A1401T en rrs podría ser la causa molecular de resistencia a los inyectables; mientras que en este estudio no se halló ninguna mutación en tlyA ni en gyrA/B asociada a resistencia. Conclusiones. Este estudio sugiere una posible asociación entre la mutación en A1401G y la resistencia a los antibióticos inyectables.

Objectives. To determine the drug resistance profiles for quinolones: ciprofloxacin (CFX), ofloxacin (OFX), moxifloxacin (MFX), and gatifloxacin (GFX); and for injectables: kanamycin (KAN), amikacin (AMK), and capreomycin (CAP) in multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. We also investigated the correlation between mutations in rrs, tlyA and gyrA/B genes, and the in vitro resistance to the second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. Materials and methods. In this pilot study we selected MDR clinical isolates collected from June-December 2004 in the Tropical Medicine Institute ôAlexander von Humboldtõ (Lima, Peru). The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of CFX, OFX, MFX, GFX, KAN, AMK and CAP for 14 clinical isolates were determined and the sequences of rrs, tlyA and gyrA/B genes were analyzed by conventional PCR followed by sequencing. Results. We obtained valid results for 11 samples. Four isolates were resistant to injectable drugs, and in all the cases the MICs were; >120 ug/mL for KAN and >160 ug/mL for AMK and CAP. Only 2 isolates were resistant to OFX with MIC = 4 ug/mL. Sequencing results suggested that the mutation A1401T in rrs gene could be the molecular cause of the resistance to injectable drugs. In this study we did not find any mutation in tlyA and gyrA/B associated to resistance. Conclusions. Our study suggests a possible association between the mutation A1401T in rrs and resistance to injectable drugs. However further studies should be done to confirm this hypothesis in Peru.

Situation of bovine tuberculosis in Ecuador / Situación de la tuberculosis bovina en el Ecuador

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a chronic and contagious disease that affects domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. Caused by Mycobacterium bovis, BTB causes major economic losses and poses a serious constraint to international livestock trade. Moreover, in developing countries where BTB controls are lacking, M. bovis is a public health concern. In most developing countries, the prevalence of BTB in livestock is unknown because the information is either not reported or not available. In Ecuador, there is no national BTB control program. This article reviews the BTB situation in Ecuador by examining exhaustive data from tuberculin testing surveys and slaughterhouse surveillance studies conducted in 1972-2008 in a variety of the country's geographic areas. In Ecuador, several factors, including the dairy industry's expansion (preempted by the high demand for milk and its by-products), intensified efforts to increase the cattle population, the presence of M. bovis, and a lack of BTB controls, have caused a rise in BTB prevalence, and consequently, a growing push for the implementation of a national BTB control program.

La tuberculosis bovina es una enfermedad contagiosa crónica que afecta a los animales domésticos, los animales salvajes y los seres humanos. Es producida por Mycobacterium bovis; causa grandes pérdidas económicas y plantea una grave limitación para el comercio ganadero internacional. Por otro lado, en los países en desarrollo donde no hay controles de la tuberculosis bovina, la infección por M. bovis representa un problema de salud pública. En la mayoría de los países en desarrollo, la prevalencia de tuberculosis en el ganado se desconoce porque la información no se comunica o no se consigue. En el Ecuador no hay un programa nacional de control de la tuberculosis bovina. En este artículo se revisa la situación de la tuberculosis bovina en el Ecuador, sobre la base de un análisis de los datos exhaustivos obtenidos de encuestas sobre pruebas de tuberculina y de los estudios de vigilancia llevados a cabo en mataderos entre 1972 y 2008 en varias zonas geográficas del país. En el Ecuador varios factores, como el crecimiento de la industria láctea (impulsado por la alta demanda de leche y sus derivados), los intensos esfuerzos para aumentar la población bovina, la presencia de M. bovis y la falta de controles de la tuberculosis bovina, han ocasionado un aumento de la prevalencia de esta y, en consecuencia, representan una motivación creciente para llevar a cabo un programa nacional de control de la tuberculosis bovina.

IS6110 fingerprinting of sensitive and resistant strains (1991-1992) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Colombia

The standardized method to study the polymorphism of IS 6110 was used to characterize 53 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis obtained during 1991-1992 from 14 regions in Colombia. In Valle region cluster rate was 25 percent (4/16). The mean number of IS6110 band was 10 ± 3. Similarity between strains was of 60 percent in 81 percent of strains and this tended to be correlated with geographic origin. For the first time M. tuberculosis without IS6110 bands in restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was found in Colombia. Additional studies are necessaries in order to best characterize the situation in relation to human immunodeficiency virus epidemic and recent changes in tuberculosis control program