BACKGROUND Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental organisms. Patients with pre-existing lung damage are susceptible to NTM, but their prevalence in bronchiectasis is unknown. Distinguishing between lung colonisation and disease can be difficult. METHODS A prospective study of 100 patients with bronchiectasis was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of NTM in sputum, ...

Chronic airway infection is a key aspect of the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis. A growing interest has been raised on non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. We aimed at describing the clinical characteristics, diagnostic process, therapeutic options and outcomes of bronchiectasis patients with pulmonary NTM (pNTM) disease. This was a prospective, observational study enrolling 261 adult b...

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) include more than 160 ubiquitous, environmental, acid-fast-staining bacterial species, some of which may cause disease in humans. Chronic pulmonary infection is the most common clinical manifestation. Although patients suffering from chronic lung diseases are particularly susceptible to NTM pulmonary disease, many affected patients have no apparent risk factor...

Objectives: Cultivation and identification of mycobacteria to species level remains difficult and time-consuming. Hence, easy and rapid diagnostic methods are necessary for the differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) from non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The present study aims to detect and differentiate MTB from NTM isolated from clinical samples by immunochromatographic test (I...

INTRODUCTION Fish mycobacteriosis is caused by the non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Infected fish are normally the primary source of infection, although non-tuberculous Mycobacteria can be found in the environment. The present study was designed to investigate the few recently found suspected cases of mycobacteriosis in Iranian ornamental fish tanks. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pathological specimens ...

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are ubiquitous environmental organisms that have been recognized as a cause of pulmonary infection for over 50 years. Traditionally patients have had underlying risk factors for development of disease; however, the proportion of apparently immunocompetent patients involved appears to be rising. Not all patients culture-positive for mycobacteria will have progressive...