[Genetic variants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from patients of the Xth Region of Chile]

The emergence of new virulent and drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has forced researchers to focus on the worldwide geographical distribution of the genetics variants of this pathogen. Mycobacterium bovis, a close related pathogen, contributes with human tuberculosis and therefore, it is particularly important in countries with significant bovine tuberculosis prevalence. Spoligotyping is currently one of the most widely used strategies for genotyping members of the M. tuberculosis complex. In this work, of a total of 41 isolates, 25 were from different patients from the Xth Region from Chile. These isolates formed 15 clusters of spoligotypes. Twenty four percent of the spoligotypes corresponded to the worldwide distributed spoligotype 53 (SpolDB4). A significant number of spoligotypes were identical to profiles found in Brazil followed by Argentina and Spain. Although the patients where from rural areas, no cases of zoonosis were observed. To establish the geographical distribution, persistence and routes of dissemination of the pathogen, a greater number of epidemiologically relevant isolates are being analyzed using the MIRUs-VNTRs.