Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 2, 2026

Demonstrating a Multi-drug Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Amplification Microarray
Published on: April 25, 2014
The global phylogeography of rapidly expanding multidrug resistant Ural lineage 4.2 Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Melanie H Chitwood1, Isabel Rancu2, Yexuan Song3
1Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA. melanie.chitwood@yale.edu.
Abstract:
Multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) epidemics are sustained by transmission of reproductively fit MDR M. tuberculosis (Mtb) strains. We search a large publicly available dataset of ~200,000 Mtb whole genome sequences to identify strains related to a highly successful MDR clade circulating in Moldova belonging to lineage 4.2.1/Ural. We characterize a clade of 1604 drug-resistant Mtb sequences harboring conserved resistance-conferring mutations. We identify the Russian Federation as the most likely country of origin for this clade and infer several independent migration events from Russia and Moldova to other European and Asian countries. We estimate that this clade is expanding more rapidly than comparable clades of lineage 4.2.1/Ural. The broad dispersal of this highly successful clade is an urgent global health threat. Genomic surveillance is essential to track the evolution and spread of this and other strains of concern.
Related Concept Videos
Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
Applications of Molecular Taxonomy

