Multiple Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis Genotyping of Human Brucella melitensis Isolates from West of Iran

Background & Objective: Brucellosis is an endemic disease with a high prevalence in Iran whose highest frequency is in the western region of the country. Genetic diversity investigation is an important method to determine the epidemiological relationship of Brucella isolates in different geographical areas. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of human Brucella melitensis (B. melitensis) strains using the Multiple Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) Typing method in the west of the country. 
Materials & Methods: In this study, 20 strains of isolated B. melitensis were collected from the human serum samples of suspected Brucellosis in the west of the country and were analyzed by MLVA-16 method. 
Results: The results showed that 3 genotype numbers 42, 43 and 47 were identified using MLVA-8 method and using MLVA-11 method genotypes 125, 138 and 111 were recognized. Also, 16 different genotypes were detected from the analysis of the isolates by MLVA-16 method which shows a high degree of polymorphism among the isolates due to the high genetic diversity of the isolates in Panel 2B loci. 
Conclusion: The results showed the high genetic diversity of B. melitensis isolates in the west of the country and their genetic relationship with the known strains in the neighboring countries of the Eastern Mediterranean area, as well as the importance of the MLVA method in identifying the source of infection.