Tuberculosis - A global emergency: Tools and methods to monitor, understand, and control the epidemic with specific example of the Beijing lineage.

We argue in favor of a concerted and coordinated response to stop tuberculosis (TB) by monitoring global TB spread, drug-resistance surveillance and populations at risk using available molecular and web tools to identify circulating clones of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). We took specific example of the Beijing lineage associated with worldwide emergence of both multiple, and extensively drug resistant (MDR/XDR)-TB. The study dataset (n=10,850 isolates, 92 countries of patient origin) was extracted from our multimarker SITVIT2 database on MTBC genotyping (n=111,635 isolates, 169 countries of patient origin). Epidemiological and demographic information in conjunction with spoligotyping (n=10,850), MIRU-VNTR minisatellites (n=2896), and drug resistance (n=2846) data was mapped at macro-geographical (United Nations subregions) and country level, followed by statistical, bioinformatical, and phylogenetical analysis. The global male/female sex ratio was 1.96, the highest being 4.93 in Russia vs. range of 0.8-1.13 observed in Central America, Caribbean, Eastern Africa and Northern Europe (p < 0.0001). The major patient age-group was 21-40 yrs worldwide except Japan (with majority of patients >60 yrs). Younger patients were more common in South America, South Asia, and Western Africa since 25-33% of TB cases due to Beijing genotype occurred in the age group 0-20 yrs. A continuous progression in the proportion of MDR and XDR strains is visible worldwide since 2003 and 2009 respectively. Pansusceptible TB mainly concerned older patients >60 yrs (44%) whereas Drug resistant, MDR and XDR-TB concerned patients preferentially aged 21-40 yrs (between 52 and 58%). Although the proportion of SIT1 pattern vs. other patterns was very high (93%); the proportion of MDR was highest for an emerging genotype SIT190 (p < 0.0001). Lastly, proportion of pansusceptible strains was highest in Japan, while MDR/XDR strains were most common in Russia and Northern Europe. We underline remarkable macro/micro-geographical cleavages in phylogenetic and epidemiologic diversity of Beijing genotype, with phylogeographical specificity of certain genotypes.