Patterns will be recorded from all strains that are not M. tuberculosis (the human adapted form of M. bovis). Because of the strict clonality of this group of organisms we can define M. bovis group strains as

those strains in the M.tuberculosis complex that lack the chromosomal region RD9 (1).

The databases will therefore include patterns derived from M. africanum (West African), M. microti, llama associated strains, goat associated strains (Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae comb. nov) as well as spoligotypes derived from traditional bovine isolates. These strains will also lack spoligotype spacer 39 and spacer 9. However, this is not diagnostic - strains of M. tuberculosis may also lack these spacers.

(1) A new evolutionary scenario for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Brosch et al PNAS 2002

.