Transmissions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Dallas and Tarrant Counties: The Use of RFLP to Evaluate MTB Control Programs

KOSTERMAN, EDWARD DONALD; MASTERS OF PUBLIC HEALTH; MAY 19, 2001 TRANSMISSION OF Mycobacterium tuberculosis IN DALLAS AND TARRANT COUNTIES: THE USE OF RFLP ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE MTB CONTROL PROGRAMS; 108 PAGES; 3 TABLES; 39 REFERENCES Dallas and Tarrant Counties are adjacent, similar counties in North Central Texas. Each county manages MTB patients under similar contracts with the Texas Department of Health. In Dallas county culture positive patients MTB are treated with Selective Directly Observed Therapy. Patients with culture positive MTB in Tarrant county are treated with Universal Directly Observed Therapy. RFLP IS6110-based RFLP analysis revealed that more strains were clustered in Dallas county than Tarrant county. Significantly more drug resistant isolates and drug resistant isolates in clusters were observed in Dallas county. These results suggest that DNA typing methods may be used to assess the efficacy of MTB control programs in areas where traditional epidemiological analysis may be ineffective.