What is universal TB genotyping? Are we there yet?
Universal TB genotyping means submitting to the genotyping laboratories at least one isolate for every culture-confirmed TB case in the country. Universal TB genotyping will provide the best understanding of the epidemiology of TB transmission within a specific TB program’s jurisdiction, as well as the entire country. It may uncover the greatest number of unrecognized outbreaks, clusters, and false-positive cultures. In 2004, when the NTGS was initiated, only 47% of all culture-positive TB cases in the United States had genotyping information. In 2007, this proportion had increased to 86%.
