Expanded geographical distribution of the N family of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains within the United States.
The N and W-Beijing families of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are phylogenetically closely related. The ability of the W-Beijing family to rapidly cause widespread disease is well described; however, few outbreaks involving the N family have been reported outside the New York City, N.Y., area. During 2002 to 2003, Seattle, Wash., experienced a rapidly expanding tuberculosis outbreak involving 38 persons in a 23-month period. The outbreak strain, SBRI9, exhibited the genotypic properties of the N family. Its IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern was identical or nearly identical to those of two N family strains that were responsible for clusters of tuberculosis cases, including a large nosocomial outbreak, in New York City and New Jersey from 1989 to 1990. It was also identical to strains involved in late 1990s tuberculosis cases in Michigan, Maryland, and Arkansas. Further monitoring of the N family may show that it shares with the W-Beijing family the propensity to spread rapidly, suggesting that this characteristic evolved prior to the divergence of the two genetic lineages.
Milan
S Joy
SJ
Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98107-1651, USA.
Hauge
Kirsten A
KA
Kurepina
Natalia E
NE
Lofy
Kathryn H
KH
Goldberg
Stefan V
SV
Narita
Masahiro
M
Nolan
Charles M
CM
McElroy
Peter D
PD
Kreiswirth
Barry N
BN
Cangelosi
Gerard A
GA
D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005838:Genotype; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology