title: First insight into Mycobacterium tuberculosis epidemiology and genetic diversity in Trinidad and Tobago.
abstract: This report is based on a 1-year recruitment of all of the culture-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases in Trinidad and Tobago (n = 132). The study population was characterized by a high male-to-female sex ratio of 4 and a human immunodeficiency virus-tuberculosis (TB) coinfection rate of 30%. It mainly occurred among African descendants, who represent 37.5% of the total population but 69.7% of all TB cases (P < 0.001). Spoligotyping resulted in 25 different patterns and 12 clusters (2 to 74 strains per cluster), with the predominance of a highly conserved spoligotype international type clone, SIT566.
authors.affiliation: Department of Para-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors.forename: Shirematee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baboolal
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Millet
authors.forename: Patrick Eberechi
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Akpaka
authors.forename: Dottin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ramoutar
authors.forename: Nalin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rastogi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial