This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Buijtels, P. C. A. M. Articles by van Soolingen, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Buijtels, P. C. A. M. Articles by van Soolingen, D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, December 2005, p. 6020-6026, Vol. 43, No. 12
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.12.6020-6026.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Isolation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Zambia: Eight Case Reports

Patricia C. A. M. Buijtels,^1,2* Pieter L. C. Petit,¹ Henri A. Verbrugh,² Alex van Belkum,² and Dick van Soolingen³

Medical Centre Rijnmond-Zuid,, Department of Medical Microbiology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands,¹ Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Rotterdam, The Netherlands,² National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, National Mycobacteria Reference Library, Bilthoven, The Netherlands³

Received 9 May 2005/ Returned for modification 1 July 2005/ Accepted 10 September 2005

The isolation of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) raises the question of their clinical significance, especially in an African setting. We found a high percentage of NTM isolated from various specimens, including ones that are normally sterile, among 213 patients in Zambia. Because tuberculosis can affect all parts of the body, we decided to include patients who had signs and symptoms in any part of the body for more than 2 weeks. Most patients had tractus respiratorius (80%) and tractus digestivus (10%) symptoms. During three consecutive days, sputum was collected and two separate sputum specimens were cultured for mycobacteria. Depending on the clinical picture, pleural effusion, ascites, abscess material, or enlarged lymph nodes were also cultured for mycobacteria. A specimen from one sterile body site was collected from 25 patients (60% human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] positive). NTM were isolated from 8 of these 25 specimens. Mycobacterium lentiflavum was isolated from four patients, and Mycobacterium goodii was isolated from one patient. In order to exclude the possibility of laboratory cross-contamination, a novel amplified fragment length polymorphism DNA typing method for M. lentiflavum was developed. Genetic variation was detected, rendering the likelihood of laboratory contamination unlikely. Clinically relevant infection due to NTM occurs in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients in Zambia, and their clinical impact seems to be underestimated. This is the first report of M. lentiflavum and M. goodii infections in Africa.

---

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Phone: 31 10 4633511. Fax: 31 10 4633875. E-mail: p.buijtels{at}erasmusmc.nl.

---

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, December 2005, p. 6020-6026, Vol. 43, No. 12
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.12.6020-6026.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Buijtels, P. C. A. M., Willemse-Erix, H. F. M., Petit, P. L. C., Endtz, H. P., Puppels, G. J., Verbrugh, H. A., van Belkum, A., van Soolingen, D., Maquelin, K. (2008). Rapid Identification of Mycobacteria by Raman Spectroscopy. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46: 961-965 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• van Helden, P. D., van Pittius, N. C. G., Warren, R. M., Michel, A., Hlokwe, T., Morar, D., Godfroid, J., du Plessis, E. C., Bengis, R. (2008). Pulmonary Infection Due to Mycobacterium goodii in a Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) from South Africa. J Wildl Dis 44: 151-154 [Abstract] [Full Text]