Mebrat Ejo1, Gabriela Torrea2, Cecile Uwizeye2, Meseret Kassa3, Yilak Girma3, Tiruzer Bekele4, Yilkal Ademe4, Ermias Diro5, Florian Gehre6, Leen Rigouts7, Bouke C de Jong2. 1. Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium; University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: drmebrat@yahoo.com. 2. Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium. 3. TB culture laboratory, University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia. 4. Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. 5. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. 6. Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium; Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; East African Community Secretariat (EAC), Arusha, Tanzania. 7. Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: In this study, we describe the population structure of M. tuberculosis complex (MTBc) strains among patients with pulmonary or lymph node tuberculosis in Northwest Ethiopia and tested the performance of culture isolation and MPT64 based speciation for Lineage 7. METHODS: Patients were recruited between April 2017 and June 2019 in North Gondar, Ethiopia. We used MPT64 assay to confirm MTBc, and spoligotyping for characterization of mycobacterial lineages. Besides, line probe assay (LPA) was used to detect resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid. RESULTS: Among 274 MTBc genotyped isolates, five MTBc lineages(Ls); L1-L4, and L7 were identified, with predominant East-African-Indian(L3) (53.6%) and Euro-American(L4) (40.1%) strains, and low prevalence (2.6%) of Ethiopia L7. The genotypes were distributed similarly between pulmonary and lymph node TB, and all lineages were equally isolated by culture and recognized as MTBc by the MPT64 assay. Additionally, LPA showed that 259 (94.5%) MTBc were susceptible to both rifampicin and isoniazid, and one (0.4%) multi-drug resistant (resistant to both rifampicin and isoniazid). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that TB in North Gondar, Ethiopia, is caused mainly by L3 and L4 strains, with low rates of L7, confirmed as MTBc by MPT64 assay, and limited resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid.
OBJECTIVES: In this study, we describe the population structure of M. tuberculosis complex (MTBc) strains among patients with pulmonary or lymph node tuberculosis in Northwest Ethiopia and tested the performance of culture isolation and MPT64 based speciation for Lineage 7. METHODS:Patients were recruited between April 2017 and June 2019 in North Gondar, Ethiopia. We used MPT64 assay to confirm MTBc, and spoligotyping for characterization of mycobacterial lineages. Besides, line probe assay (LPA) was used to detect resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid. RESULTS: Among 274 MTBc genotyped isolates, five MTBc lineages(Ls); L1-L4, and L7 were identified, with predominant East-African-Indian(L3) (53.6%) and Euro-American(L4) (40.1%) strains, and low prevalence (2.6%) of Ethiopia L7. The genotypes were distributed similarly between pulmonary and lymph node TB, and all lineages were equally isolated by culture and recognized as MTBc by the MPT64 assay. Additionally, LPA showed that 259 (94.5%) MTBc were susceptible to both rifampicin and isoniazid, and one (0.4%) multi-drug resistant (resistant to both rifampicin and isoniazid). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that TB in North Gondar, Ethiopia, is caused mainly by L3 and L4 strains, with low rates of L7, confirmed as MTBc by MPT64 assay, and limited resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid.