Disseminated mycobacterial infections are commonly seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, and laboratory culture is the best method for diagnosing these infections. In addition to conventional agar media, we used BACTEC 12A (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.) broth medium for culture. More isolates of Mycobacterium avium complex and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were re...

Macrolides are an important tool in the treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex infections. Here, we evaluate the use of 23S rRNA gene sequencing for the rapid detection of macrolide resistance. Routine sequencing of the 23S rRNA gene is highly specific for macrolide resistance but lacks in sensitivity.

From 1991 to 1996, 541 blood samples were tested for the presence of mycobacteria; 56 were positive (30 patients, 26 human immunodeficiency virus positive). The species found were Mycobacterium avium (41 samples from 18 patients), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (12 samples from 9 patients), and three other species (1 sample each). The average time to detection was 25.23 days (22.65 for M. avium and...

CLR exhibits broad spectrum activity against gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria, and it is indicated for the treatment of a wide variety of respiratory and dermatologic infections and treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex infection and peptic ulcers due to Helicobacter pylori [4-7]. The FDA approved dosage regimen for CLR ranges from 250 to 500 mg twice daily (respiratory tract and skin i...

Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis is an environmental bacterium causing opportunistic infections in swine, resulting in economic losses. Additionally, the zoonotic aspect of such infections is of concern. In the southeastern region of Norway in 2009 and 2010, an increase in condemnation of pig carcasses with tuberculous lesions was seen at the meat inspection. The use of peat as bedding in...

In the United States, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) has been found to be most common isolate in non-tuberculous disease, and pulmonary infection is frequent presentation. It ubiquitous environment, particularly soil manufactured water supply sources. Worldwide, M. infections, both disseminated, are steadily increasing. Due MAC’s ability cause non-specific symptoms its pervasiveness within i...

Environmental mycobacteria are a common cause of human infections. Recently, contaminated domestic water supplies have been suggested as a potential environmental source of several mycobacterial diseases. Since many of these mycobacterial species replicate best intracellularly, environmental hosts have been sought. In the present study, we examined the interaction of Mycobacterium avium with a ...

Hemolysin was quantified in 58 isolates of Mycobacterium avium from human, animal, and environmental sources. Human Mav-A and Mav-B isolates were the strongest producers; in contrast, animal and environmental Mav-A isolates and human, animal, and environmental Mav-C organisms were low-level producers. Hemolysin production was not restricted to isolates causing invasive infections.

Mycobacterial infections cause a significant burden of disease and death worldwide. Their treatment is long, toxic, costly, and increasingly prone to failure due to bacterial resistance to currently available antibiotics. New therapeutic options are thus clearly needed. Antimicrobial peptides represent an important source of new antimicrobial molecules, both for their direct activity and for th...

"Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis" is a robust and pervasive environmental bacterium that can cause opportunistic infections in humans. The bacterium overcomes the host immune response and is capable of surviving and replicating within host macrophages. Little is known about the bacterial mechanisms that facilitate these processes, but it can be expected that surface-exposed proteins play...