Human pulmonary infections with bovine and environment (atypical) mycobacteria in jos, Nigeria.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES To examine sputum specimens from patients with persistent bronchopulmonary disorders for mycobacterium species and to characterize the recovered isolates with a view to determining the extent of involvement of environmental mycobacteria in pulmonary infections. DESIGN Analytical study using standard microscopy, culture and biochemical test for the identification of mycobacterium species. SETTING Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and 2 referral hospitals: Plateau Specialist Hospital and Evangelical Churches of West Africa (ECWA) Evangel Hospital in Jos, Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS Three hundred and twenty nine (329) volunteer new patients seen at the chest clinic and general out patient departments with broncho-pulmonary disorders. Patients already on anti-tuberculosis were excluded from the study. INTERVENTIONS Subjects were administered antituberculosis drugs and or other treatment regimes after proper diagnosis RESULTS Sixty-five (65) mycobacterial isolates were obtained and differentiated into human tubercle bacilli, bovine and or environmental (atypical) mycobacteria on the basis of nine identification tests. Of the 65 mycobacterial isolates subjected to the tests, 40 (61.54%) were identified as mycobacterium tuberculosis, 10 (15.38%) as M. bovis and 15 (23.08%) as environmental mycobacteria. Among the environmental group, 9 (20.69%) were classified as M. avium 3 (3.45%) each as M. kansasi and M. fortuitum. CONCLUSIONS The study confirms the involvement of bovine and environmental mycobacteria in pulmonary infections. This may be related to the rising prevalence of HIV/AIDS globally. The need for adequate bacteriological analysis in current-day diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in indicated.