Clinical and Taxonomic Status of Pathogenic Nonpigmented or Late-Pigmenting Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria

Abstract

The history, taxonomy, geographic distribution, clinical disease, and therapy of the pathogenic nonpigmented or late-pigmenting rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are reviewed. Community-acquired disease and health care-associated disease are highlighted for each species. The latter grouping includes health care-associated outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks as well as sporadic disease cases. Treatment recommendations for each species and type of disease are also described. Special emphasis is on the Mycobacterium fortuitum group, including M. fortuitum, M. peregrinum, and the unnamed third biovariant complex with its recent taxonomic changes and newly recognized species (including M. septicum, M. mageritense, and proposed species M. houstonense and M. bonickei). The clinical and taxonomic status of M. chelonae, M. abscessus, and M. mucogenicum is also detailed, along with that of the closely related new species, M. immunogenum. Additionally, newly recognized species, M. wolinskyi and M. goodii, as well as M. smegmatis sensu stricto, are included in a discussion of the M. smegmatis group. Laboratory diagnosis of RGM using phenotypic methods such as biochemical testing and high-performance liquid chromatography and molecular methods of diagnosis are also discussed. The latter includes PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, hybridization, ribotyping, and sequence analysis. Susceptibility testing and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the RGM are also annotated, along with the current recommendations from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) for mycobacterial susceptibility testing

Micobacteriosis diseminada con compromiso de válvula aórtica protésica: primer caso de Mycobacterium peregrinum de tipo III reportada en Colombia

“…Rapidly growing mycobacteria are not usually pathogenic for humans but they can cause several type of infections including skin and soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, lymphadenitis, disseminated disease, meningitis, postsurgical wound infections, infections of prostethic devices, and chronic lung disease (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(15)(16)(17)(18). Some cases have been described in Colombia (8,11).…”

“…Rapidly growing mycobacteria are classified in three groups: M. fortuitum, M. chelonae-M. abscessus and M. smegmatis (3). In clinical conditions, rapidly growing mycobacteria have been related to skin and soft tissue infections (frequently postsurgical wound infections), pulmonary disease, and colonization of implanted materials such as prosthetics, catheters and sutures; these infections could result in sepsis and disseminated disease (3)(4)(5)(6)(7).…”

“…In clinical conditions, rapidly growing mycobacteria have been related to skin and soft tissue infections (frequently postsurgical wound infections), pulmonary disease, and colonization of implanted materials such as prosthetics, catheters and sutures; these infections could result in sepsis and disseminated disease (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Clinical cases of environmental opportunistic mycobacteria, including rapidly growing mycobacteria, have been reported in Colombia (8)(9)(10)(11).…”

“…Mycobacterium peregrinum, a rapidly growing mycobacterium belonging to the M. fortuitum group, has been reported as causing opportunistic disease in humans (3,12). Several past cases have had M peregrinum designated as the causative agen as a consequence of the reclassification of microorganisms initially described as M. fortuitum (3).…”

Identificación de Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae y Neisseria meningitidis por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa

“…Las micobacterias no tuberculosas pueden ser saprofitas, patógenas u oportunistas; entre ellas se incluyen especies de rápido y de lento crecimiento (1). A diferencia de Mycobacterium tuberculosis y Mycobacterium leprae, éstas no son patógenos obligados, por lo cual su hábitat general es el medio ambiente (2).…”