Classifying recurrent Mycobacterium tuberculosis cases in Georgia using MIRU-VNTR typing.

Recurrent TB in MDR patients in Georgia are mainly caused by relapse, raising concerns on the efficacy of the TB control program. An association between incarceration and reinfection likely reflects high levels of ongoing TB transmission in prisons, indicating the need for better TB infection control measures in these settings. Our results add to the rationale for implementing genotypic surveillance of TB more broadly to support TB control in Georgia.