Source Case Identification and Control of Tuberculosis by Molecular Epidemiology

Tuberculosis is one of the main health care problems worldwide, so that one third of world population are contaminated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It causes 3.1 million deaths annually, therefore, controlling tuberculosis is one the priorities of the world health organization. To control tuberculosis, identifying sources of infection is very important. Patients with active tuberculosis are the main source of infection, since they transmit infection via direct or accidental contact with sensitive individuals. In tuberculosis transmission, several risk factors are important including host factors, environment, and bacterial factors. Molecular epidemiology tools such as fingerprinting by IS6110-RFLP, Spoligotyping, MIRU, and ETR enables researchers to identify patterns of spread, source of infection, and specific strains which are responsible for transmission of tuberculosis and the tuberculosis that is caused by recurrence of the disease. These data will help in planning therapeutic strategies and controlling tuberculosis infection.