A review of published spoligotype data indicates the diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from India is under-represented in global databases

摘要

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTBC) lineages differ in clinical presentation, virulence, transmission, drug resistance and immunological responses. Despite having the largest burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the world, strains from India are underrepresented in international databases. We reviewed published spoligotype data to determine the distribution and diversity of MTBC lineages in India.