Mycobacterium tuberculosis outbreak strain of Danish origin spreading at worrying rates among Greenland-born persons in Denmark and Greenland

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Lillebæk, Troels
  • A. B. Andersen
  • E. M. Rasmussen
  • Z. Kamper-Jorgensen
  • M. K. Pedersen
  • K. Bjorn-Mortensen
  • K. Ladefoged
  • V. O. Thomsen

Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis continues at high rates among Greenland-born persons in Greenland and Denmark, with 203 and 450 notified cases per 105 population, respectively, in the year 2010. Here, we document that the predominant M. tuberculosis outbreak strain C2/1112-15 of Danish origin has been transmitted to Greenland-born persons in Denmark and subsequently to Greenland, where it is spreading at worrying rates and adding to the already heavy tuberculosis burden in this population group. It is now clear that the C2/1112-15 strain is able to gain new territories using a new population group as the "vehicle." Thus, it might have the ability to spread even further, considering the potential clinical consequences of strain diversity such as that seen in the widely spread Beijing genotype. The introduction of the predominant M. tuberculosis outbreak strain C2/1112-15 into the Arctic circumpolar region is a worrying tendency which deserves attention. We need to monitor whether this strain already has, or will, spread to other countries.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of clinical microbiology
Volume51
Issue number12
Pages (from-to)4040-4044
Number of pages5
ISSN0095-1137
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2013
Externally publishedYes

ID: 247164170