Environmental sources of rapid growing nontuberculous mycobacteria causing disease in humans

Nontuberculous mycobacteria are environmental, opportunistic pathogens whose role in human disease is increasingly recognized, especially regarding the rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM). RGM are recovered from various environmental sources, both natural and man-made. In water systems, RGM can survive...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 15; no. 10; pp. 888 - 893
Main Authors: van Ingen, J., Boeree, M.J., Dekhuijzen, P.N. R., van Soolingen, D.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2009
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Subjects:
aetiology
Atypical
Disease Outbreaks
Environmental Microbiology
Humans
Mycobacterium - isolation & purification
Mycobacterium infections
Mycobacterium Infections - epidemiology
Mycobacterium Infections - microbiology
rapid growers
review
aetiology
Mycobacterium infections
Atypical
rapid growers
review
ISSN:1198-743X, 1469-0691, 1469-0691
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Nontuberculous mycobacteria are environmental, opportunistic pathogens whose role in human disease is increasingly recognized, especially regarding the rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM). RGM are recovered from various environmental sources, both natural and man-made. In water systems, RGM can survive by forming biofilms and by interactions with protozoa. The presence and species diversity of RGM in water is influenced by temperature, pH and the chemical quality of the water, as well as the availability of nutrients, although the exact correlations remain controversial. Despite their omnipresence in environmental sources, the actual transmission of RGM to humans, with subsequent clinical disease, has rarely been proven. However, outbreaks as a result of contaminated water sources have been reported, although accidental presence in clinical samples cannot always be excluded. In this setting, the presence of RGM does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship with clinical disease; accidental presence in clinical samples cannot always be excluded. Future studies should focus on the exact environmental sources of infection, aiming to examine possibilities for prevention of infections in patients at risk. Furthermore, studies should focus on the actual sites of the active replication of RGM; their presence may not indicate their natural habitat.
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ISSN:1198-743X
1469-0691
1469-0691
DOI:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2009.03013.x