Subtyping of Clinical Strains of <i>Mycobacterium leprae</i> Using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) Markers in Leprosy Patients in Côte d'Ivoire

Leprosy is a disease caused mainly by Mycobacterium leprae. The mode of transmission has yet to be elucidated. In order to understand its etiology, Mycobacterium leprae was genotyped into 4 types and 16 subtypes using molecular biology techniques. The overall aim of this study was to identify the subtypes of genotype 4 identified in clinical strains of M. leprae in leprosy patients in Côte d'Ivoire, using Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) genetic markers. The biological material used consisted of dermal juices and nasal mucus collected from 40 patients clinically diagnosed with leprosy at the Institut Raoul Follereau of Côte d'Ivoire (IRFCI). Conventional PCR amplification revealed a high rate of positive M. leprae detection, i.e. 77.5% (62 /80). 5% (4 /80) of the strains identified had all three types of mutation (insertion, deletion and HPT). However, only one strain identified subtype O, characterized by the insertion of a T base at position Ins: 978589 and by the presence of a T base at position Del: 1476519. Subtype O of the identified M. leprae genotype 4 is thought to circulate in Côte d'Ivoire.