Genotypic Profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains from Treatment-Naive Patients in Adamawa State

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis continues to rank among the top ten causes of infectious disease-related death globally, with Nigeria bearing an especially high endemic burden. Genotypic characterization of M. tuberculosis isolates helps track transmission networks and identify outbreak-associated lineages. This study profiled M. tuberculosis strains from treatment-naive pulmonary TB patients attending DOTS centers in Yola and Mubi, Adamawa State, Northeast Nigeria. Sputum specimens were collected from 75 newly diagnosed, culture-confirmed TB patients. After decontamination and Lowenstein-Jensen medium culture, DNA was extracted from positive colonies. Spoligotyping was performed using a commercially available membrane hybridization kit, and results were compared against the SpolDB4 and SITVITWEB databases for lineage classification. The T1 lineage predominated (38%), followed by the CAS lineage (29%), which is associated with South Asian origins. Beijing strains were detected in 8% of isolates, warranting epidemiological attention given their association with drug resistance and outbreaks. Cluster analysis identified three putative transmission clusters, indicating recent local transmission in Yola. These genotyping data provide the first published M. tuberculosis lineage profile from Adamawa State, forming a foundation for molecular epidemiology studies in the region. Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spoligotyping, lineage, treatment-naive, Adamawa State.