This is review of recent publications on the problems of genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its application in diagnosis and molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis. Recent methods of Mycobacteria typing, including IS6110 RFLP (Restriction Fragments Length Polymorphism), VNTR (Variable Number Tandem Repeats), spoligotyping and their modifications are described. A particular attention is paid to advantages, shortcomings and modes of practical application of the certain methods. Practical usefulness of molecular epidemiology studies is demonstrated. Urgent issues regarding implementation of molecular typing technique in clinical microbiology practice in Ukraine, creation of national databases and their integration in international programmes are proposed.
