Project - КП-06-Н93/5 Project Title: Integral Analysis of Pathogenomic Characteristics and Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains in Bulgaria and the Balkans, with a Focus on Pediatric Patients

Project Overview

Grant Agreement No: КП-06-Н93/5 Project Title: Integral Analysis of Pathogenomic Characteristics and Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains in Bulgaria and the Balkans, with a Focus on Pediatric Patients 

Beneficiary: The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SAIM-BAS) 

Partners: National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) 

Project Duration: December 9, 2025 – December 9, 2028 

Project Budget: 217 299, 05 EUR (425,000 BGN)

Principal Investigator: Assoc. Prof. Violeta Valcheva Ruseva, PhD

Research Team

    • From IMicB-BAS: Assoc. Prof. Violeta Valcheva Ruseva, Assist. Simeon Emilov Dimitrov; PhD student Viktoriya Todorova Teneva; student Ivana Ivanova Glavcheva; Assist. Rositsa Atanasova Dimitrova-Benevska; Prof. Igor Mokrousov (Pasteur Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia); Dr. David Couvin (WHO Supranational TB Reference Laboratory, Pasteur Institute, Guadeloupe, France); Prof. Silva Tafaj (Medical University of Tirana / University Hospital Centre, Albania).
    • From NCIPD: Assist. Prof. Yuliyana Asenova Atanasova, Assist. Prof. Stanislava Yordanova; Assist. Prof. Yordan Krasimirov Hodzhev; Dr. Svetoslav Valentinov Yordanov,  Ana Ivanova Baykova; Assoc. Prof. Elena Nikolova Paskaleva-Georgieva, PhD (Clinic of Pediatric Pulmonology and Phthisiology, Sofia).

Project Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases globally, accounting for approximately 1.5 million deaths annually. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and detailed phylogenetic reconstructions provide the capacity to monitor evolutionary processes, adaptive mechanisms, and the dissemination of various Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineages and genotypes.
This project aims to investigate differences in transmissibility among strains from Bulgaria and the Balkan region (Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia) harboring diverse resistance-associated mutations. The study will analyze the influence of phylogenetic origin and genomic interactions on these strains. Phenomena such as cross-resistance and collateral drug sensitivity will be explored to optimize therapeutic regimens, particularly for multi-drug resistant (MDR) forms.

Results:
    • Identification of high-risk, drug-resistant, and/or highly transmissible strains.
    • Mapping of transmission chains and cluster formation.
    • Detection of rare mutations with potential implications for epidemic spread.
    • Development of a comprehensive genomic-epidemiological profile of circulating strains, including pediatric cases—a first-of-its-kind study for Bulgaria.

The data will support personalized therapy selection, enhance public health interventions, and contribute to a sustainable TB control strategy. Furthermore, the findings will update and enrich international tuberculosis databases.