Molecular characterisation of isoniazid- and rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Central Tunisia.

The aim of our study was to genotypically characterise isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RMP) resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Sousse, Central Tunisia, using DNA sequencing and multispacer sequence typing (MST). The results show that 27/28 (96.4%) and 1/28 (3.6%) INH-resistant isolates yielded respectively the kat G S315T and the inh A - 15C → T mutations. Two-thirds of RMP-resistant isolates yielded the rpo B D516V mutation and one sixth yielded either H526D or S531L mutations. Genotyping analysis revealed the multiclonal spread of drug-resistant isolates in Central Tunisia. Data presented here complete the previously published map of resistant M. tuberculosis isolates and highlight their regional disparity in Tunisia.