JCM Accepts, published online ahead of print on 29 April 2009

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J. Clin. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/JCM.00535-09
Copyright (c) 2009, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

First Insight into Mycobacterium tuberculosis Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity in Trinidad and Tobago

Shirematee Baboolal, Julie Millet, Patrick Eberechi Akpaka, Dottin Ramoutar, and Nalin Rastogi^*

Department of Para-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago; Caribbean Epidemiology Centre, Jamaica Boulevard, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; Unité de la Tuberculose et des Mycobactéries, Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, Abymes, Guadeloupe; Caura Chest Hospital, Caura, Trinidad & Tobago

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: nrastogi{at}pasteur-guadeloupe.fr.

This report is based on a one year recruitment of all culture positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T, n=132). The study population was characterized by a high male to female sex-ratio of 4, and a HIV/TB coinfection rate of 30%. It mainly occurred among African descendants who represent 37.5% of 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 clone Spoligotype International Type SIT566.