A significant knowledge gap exists concerning the geographical distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolation worldwide.To provide a snapshot of NTM species distribution, global partners in the NTM-Network European Trials Group (NET) framework (www.ntm-net.org), a branch of the Tuberculosis Network European Trials Group (TB-NET), provided identification results of the total number of patients in 2008 in whom NTM were isolated from pulmonary samples. From these data, we visualised the relative distribution of the different NTM found per continent and per country.We received species identification data for 20 182 patients, from 62 laboratories in 30 countries across six continents. 91 different NTM species were isolated. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteria predominated in most countries, followed by M. gordonae and M. xenopi. Important differences in geographical distribution of MAC species as well as M. xenopi, M. kansasii and rapid-growing mycobacteria were observed.This snapshot demonstrates that the species distribution among NTM isolates from pulmonary specimens in the year 2008 differed by continent and differed by country within these continents. These differences in species distribution may partly determine the frequency and manifestations of pulmonary NTM disease in each geographical location. @ERSpublications Species distribution among nontuberculous mycobacteria isolates from pulmonary specimens is geographically diverse

Forty-five mycobacterial strains isolated from 23 Colombian HIV-positive patients were identified as members of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and were characterized using different molecular approaches. Seven of the isolates showed characteristic features that allowed them to be differentiated from other members of the complex. The isolates had a novel 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1) gene sequence which is described as a new sequevar, MAC-X. All of the seven novel isolates gave a positive result with the MAC-specific AccuProbe (Gen-Probe), but tested negative for Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare species-specific probes (64 and 100 % of the isolates, respectively). The novel isolates could be differentiated phenotypically from other members of the MAC on the basis of the production of urease and by a consistent mycolic acid pattern. The novel isolates shared some characteristics with M. avium, such as the avium variant I (av-I) pattern of the hsp65 gene as determined by PCR restriction analysis and a positive PCR result for the mig (macrophage-induced) gene. However, the novel isolates showed a unique 16S rRNA gene sequence. DNA-DNA relatedness values, from 24 to 44 %, confirmed the distinction of the novel isolates from other members of the MAC at the genetic level and their status as members of a separate species. The novel isolates are proposed as representatives of a novel species, Mycobacterium colombiense sp. nov., that is closely related to M. avium within the MAC. The type strain is 10B T (=CIP 108962Members of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are currently identified on the basis of positive results with the commercial MAC-specific probe, AccuProbe (Gen-Probe). Originally, two species were identified within the MAC, namely Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare. However, recent studies have drawn attention to the wide diversity of isolates that can be detected in the complex (Mijs et al., 2002;Smole et al., 2002;Lebrun et al., 2005). Analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1) sequence, a molecular approach frequently used for the identification of these bacteria, has revealed the existence of more than 30 different sequevars (Tortoli et al., 2004). Only a few of these sequevars belong to members of M. avium (seven sequevars) or M. intracellulare (four sequevars). Recently, members of the MAC represented by sequevar MAC-A were described as the novel species Mycobacterium chimaera. This novel species has similar characteristics to M. intracellulare (Tortoli et al., 2004).During a study to characterize MAC isolates from HIVpositive Colombian patients, a group of distinct strains was identified. These isolates showed several features that allowed them to be differentiated from other members of the MAC and recognized as a separate novel species.Abbreviations: ITS 1, 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer; MAC, Mycobacterium avium complex; PRA, PCR restriction analysis; RAPD, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA.The GenBank/E...

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