The characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) patients related to a chain of recent TB transmissions were investigated. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates (120) were genotyped using the restriction fragment length polymorphism-IS6110 (R), spacer oligotyping (S) and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats (M) methods. The MTB isolates were clustered and the clusters were grouped according to the similarities of their genotypes. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients between the groups of MTB isolates with similar genotypes and those patient characteristics indicating a risk for a pulmonary TB (PTB) chain transmission were ana- lysed. The isolates showing similar genotypes were distributed as follows: SMR (5%), SM (12.5%), SR (1.67%), MR (0%), S (46.67%), M (5%) and R (0%). The remaining 35 cases were orphans. SMR exhibited a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with visits to clinics, municipalities and comorbidities (primarily diabetes mellitus). S correlated with drug consumption and M with comorbidities. SMR is needed to identify a social network in metropolitan areas for PTB transmission and S and M are able to detect risk factors as secondary components of a transmission chain of TB.

The quantification of colony forming units (cfu), turbidity, and optical density at 600 nm (OD600) measurements were used to evaluate Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth. Turbidity and OD600 measurements displayed similar growth curves, while cfu quantification showed a continuous growth curve. We determined the cfu equivalents to McFarland and OD600 units.

En México, la tuberculosis (TB) es motivo de regionalización del país de acuerdo a la prevalencia, por tal motivo, la comercialización y/o exportación de bovinos, así como su movilización, es restringida. El diagnóstico oficial de la TB en bovinos en campo se realiza con la prueba de tuberculina, y posmorten con histopatología y/o por aislamiento del agente etiológico. Aunque la prueba de la tuberculina tiene baja especificidad, es suficiente para enviar animales reactores a sacrificio, lo que no garantiza que el animal esté infectado. Lo anterior, hace patente la necesidad de métodos más sensibles y específicos. En la presente investigación se analizaron muestras de exudado nasal de bovinos, para detectar microorganismos del complejo Mycobacterium tuberculosis mediante la prueba de reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR). Todos los animales positivos a la tuberculina se consideraron como animales infectados y éstos fueron comparados con los positivos a PCR. Se muestrearon 420 animales provenientes de zonas de alta y baja prevalencia. El ADN de los exudados nasales se obtuvo con el método de extracción bromuro de cetiltrimetilamonio, y éste se utilizó en una PCR anidada para amplificar dos fragmentos (583 pb y 200 pb) de la secuencia IS6110 del complejo M. tuberculosis. La prueba de PCR logró detectar un mayor número de muestras positivas en las zonas de alta prevalencia (57%), comparada con las zonas de baja prevalencia (20%). La sensibilidad de la prueba de PCR fue del 90,5% y la especificidad del 58,3%, comparada con la prueba de tuberculina. Quedó demostrado que la prueba de PCR en secreciones nasales puede utilizarse en situaciones de compra-venta o en exposiciones ganaderas como un análisis de tamizaje para prevenir el contagio y la introducción de la enfermedad a rebaños sanos.

In Mexico, the bovine tuberculosis (TB) is associated with both regionalization of the country, considering the levels of prevalence of the disease and restrictions in commercialization and/or exportation of cattle. In Mexico, the diagnosis of the bovine tuberculosis is conducted by using the tuberculin test in live animals, bacteriologic isolation and histopathological analysis in postmortem. Although the low sensibility of tuberculin test, is used to sent the animal reactors to slaughter and maybe the animal is not infected. Considering that some diagnosis methods are not sufficiently reliable and specific to detect the presence of the casual agent of this disease, the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was evaluated from bovine nasal mucus. For the detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, PCR of nasal mucus was better than Caudal-fold Tuberculin Test (CTT). The sensibility of PCR compared with CTT was 90.5% and specifity was 58.3%. The PCR of nasal mucus can use in buy and sell operations and cattle expositions to prevent the contagious and the introduction the pathogens in health cattle.