Table 1. Description of clusters containing 3 or more isolates in this study and their worldwide distribution in the SITVIT2 database (interrogation made on September 25^th 2013).

SIT (Lineage) Octal Number; Spoligotype Description	Number (%) in study	% in study vs. database	Distribution in Regions with ≥3% of a given SITs *	Distribution in countries with ≥3% of a given SITs **
53 (T1) 777777777760771	26 (11.93)	0.41	EURO-W 15.65, AMER-N 13.48, AMER-S 12.45, EURO-S 9.41, EURO-N 7.48, ASIA-W 7.31, AFRI-S 4.97, AFRI-E 4.65, ASIA-E 4.23, AFRI-N 3.52, EURO-E 3.26, AMER-C 3.23	USA 13.2, FXX 7.88, BRA 5.54, ITA 5.33, ZAF 4.86, TUR 3.47, AUT 3.42, CHN 3.09
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42 (LAM9) 777777607760771	18 (8.26)	0.54	AMER-S 29.7, AMER-N 11.85, EURO-S 11.31, EURO-W 9.46, AFRI-N 8.57, EURO-N 4.9, AMER-C 3.55, AFRI-E 3.55, AFRI-S 3.16	BRA 12.51, USA 11.85, COL 7.61, MAR 7.05, ITA 6.54, FXX 5.05, ESP 3.34, VEN 3.31, ZAF 3.16
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50 (H3) 777777777720771	16 (7.34)	0.47	AMER-S 18.16, EURO-W 17.54, AMER-N 17.54, EURO-S 11.53, EURO-E 5.51, EURO-N 5.45, AFRI-N 4.25, AFRI-S 4.04, CARI 3.48, ASIA-W 3.21	USA 17.51, BRA 7.52, FXX 6.87, AUT 6.07, ITA 5.43, ESP 5.43, PER 4.72, ZAF 4.04, CZE 3.66
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SIT64 (LAM6) 777777607560771	6 (2.75)	1.6	AMER-S 49.33, AMER-N 25.07, EURO-W 6.4, EURO-S 4.8, ASIA-W 3.2	BRA 38.4, USA 25.07, GUF 6.13, PRT 3.73
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SIT47 (H1) 777777774020771	5 (2.29)	0.32	EURO-W 20.29, AMER-N 15.51, EURO-S 13.47, AMER-S 12.64, EURO-N 10.47, EURO-E 7.21, ASIA-W 4.02, AFRI-N 3.64	USA 15.19, ITA 8.23, AUT 8.04, BRA 7.34, FXX 6.64, FIN 6.0, CZE 3.77, ESP 3.57, SWE 3.38, PER 3.06
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SIT60 (LAM4) 777777607760731	5 (2.29)	1.17	AFRI-S 38.08, AMER-S 21.5, EURO-W 7.24, AFRI-N 7.01, AFRI-W 6.31, EURO-S 5.61, AMER-N 4.4	ZAF 38.08, BRA 14.72, FXX 5.14, USA 4.44, MAR 4.44, GMB 3.97, ITA 3.74, VEN 3.51
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SIT73 (T) 777737777760731	5 (2.29)	1.94	EURO-S 17.05, EURO-W 13.95, AMER-N 13.95, AMER-S 11.24, AFRI-S 10.85, AFRI-E 7.36, ASIA-E 4.65, AMER-C 3.88	ITA 14.34, USA 13.95, ZAF 10.85, FXX 7.75, BRA 6.59, CHN 4.65, MOZ 3.88, MEX 3.1
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4 (Unknown) 000000007760771	4 (1.83)	1.08	EURO-S 16.49, AMER-S 14.32, AMER-N 12.43, EURO-W 10.81, ASIA-W 10.54, AFRI-S 8.11, AFRI-E 8.11, EURO-N 6.22, EURO-E 5.68	USA 9.73, ITA 8.92, BRA 8.92, ZAF 8.11, TUR 7.84, BGR 5.41, ETH 4.32, FXX 4.05, ALB 4.05
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SIT17 (LAM2) 677737607760771	4 (1.83)	0.6	AMER-S 59.58, AMER-N 17.95, CARI 8.9, EURO-S 5.58	BRA 28.36, VEN 27.0, USA 17.95, ESP 4.37, HTI 3.32, GLP 3.32
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SIT33 (LAM3) 776177607760771	4 (1.83)	0.35	AFRI-S 28.76, AMER-S 25.31, AMER-N 14.07, EURO-S 12.57, EURO-W 7.26, AMER-C 4.78	ZAF 28.76, USA 14.07, BRA 12.04, ESP 7.88, PER 6.02, ARG 5.04, FXX 4.69, ITA 4.07, HND 3.81
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SIT3907 (T1) 777703777760631	4 (1.83)	100	AMER-S 100	BRA 100
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SIT306 (T1) 777777601560771	3 (1.38)	11.54	EURO-W 38.46, AMER-N 26.92, AMER-S 19.23, EURO-N 7.69, AFRI-M 7.69	USA 26.92, BEL 26.92, BRA 15.39, FXX 11.54, GBR 7.69, CAF 7.69, GUF 3.85
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SIT828 (LAM4) 377777607760731	3 (1.38)	9.38	AMER-S 90.63, EURO-S 3.13, AFRI-W 3.13, AFRI-S 3.13	BRA 84.38, PRY 6.25, ZAF 3.13, ITA 3.13, GNB 3.13,
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SIT1711 (LAM2) 677337607760771	3 (1.38)	37.5	AMER-S 75.0, EURO-S 12.5, AMER-C 12.5	BRA 37.5, VEN 25.0, MEX 12.5, ESP 12.5, COL 12.5,
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SIT2498 (H3) 777760077620771	3 (1.38)	27.27	AMER-S 100	BRA 100
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SIT3908 (LAM2) 677730207760771	3 (1.38)	75	AMER-S 100	BRA 100
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*Worldwide distribution is reported for regions with more than 3% of a given SITs as compared to their total number in the SITVIT2 database. The definition of macro-geographical regions and sub-regions (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm) is according to the United Nations; Regions: AFRI (Africa), AMER (Americas), ASIA (Asia), EURO (Europe), and OCE (Oceania), subdivided in: E (Eastern), M (Middle), C (Central), N (Northern), S (Southern), SE (South-Eastern), and W (Western). Furthermore, CARIB (Caribbean) belongs to Americas, while Oceania is subdivided in 4 sub-regions, AUST (Australasia), MEL (Melanesia), MIC (Micronesia), and POLY (Polynesia). Note that in our classification scheme, Russia has been attributed a new sub-region by itself (Northern Asia) instead of including it among rest of the Eastern Europe. It reflects its geographical localization as well as due to the similarity of specific TB genotypes circulating in Russia (a majority of Beijing genotypes) with those prevalent in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia.

**The 3 letter country codes are according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-3; countrywide distribution is only shown for SITs with ≥3% of a given SITs as compared to their total number in the SITVIT2 database.