Mycobacterium canettii, the smooth variant of M. tuberculosis, isolated from a Swiss patient exposed in Africa

Emerg Infect Dis. 1998 Oct-Dec;4(4):631-4. doi: 10.3201/eid0404.980414.

Abstract

An exceptionally smooth and glossy morphotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex was isolated from a 56-year-old Swiss patient with mesenteric tuberculosis. Direct 16S rRNA sequence analysis of the hypervariable signature gene regions revealed a 100% homology to the specific M. tuberculosis complex sequence. Spoligotyping and restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses using the insertion sequences IS6110 and IS1081 and the polymorphic GC-rich sequence as additional genetic markers identified the isolate as the novel taxon M. canettii. Like a Somali child with a similar case, this patient probably contracted the infection in Africa, which raises questions about the geographic distribution of M. canettii.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Genetic Variation*
  • Humans
  • Kenya
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycobacterium / classification
  • Mycobacterium / genetics*
  • Mycobacterium / isolation & purification
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics*
  • Switzerland
  • Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / microbiology*
  • Uganda

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AJ007315
  • GENBANK/AJ007316