A Closer Look at the Genomic Variation of Geographically Diverse Mycobacterium abscessus Clones That Cause Human Infection and Disease

Summary

<i>Mycobacterium abscessus</i> is a multidrug resistant bacterium that causes pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease. The reported prevalence of pulmonary <i>M. abscessus</i> infections appears to be increasing in the United States (US) and around the world. In the last five years, multiple studies have utilized whole genome sequencing to investigate the genetic epidemiology of two clinically relevant subspecies, <i>M. abscessus</i> subsp. <i>abscessus</i> (MAB) and <i>M. abscessus</i> subsp. <i>massiliense</i> (MMAS). Phylogenomic comparisons of clinical isolates revealed that substantial proportions of patients have MAB and MMAS isolates that belong to genetically similar clusters also known as 'dominant clones'. Unlike the genetic lineages of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> that tend to