title: Clinical disease, drug susceptibility, and biochemical patterns of the unnamed third biovariant complex of Mycobacterium fortuitum.
abstract: Previous studies of Mycobacterium fortuitum identified isolates that did not fit its two recognized biovariants. Eighty-five clinical isolates of this group, the "third biovariant complex", were evaluated. They represented 16% of 410 isolates of M. fortuitum submitted to a Texas laboratory and 22% of 45 isolates in Queensland, Australia. Most infections (76%) involved skin, soft tissue, or bone and occurred after metal puncture wounds or open fractures. Isolates differed from biovar fortuitum in resistance to pipemidic acid and use of mannitol and inositol as carbon sources. Two subgroups were present, and examples were deposited in the American Type Culture Collection. Isolates were resistant to doxycycline and one-third were resistant to cefoxitin. All were susceptible to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and imipenem. Surgical debridement combined with drug therapy based on in vitro susceptibilities resulted in cures of cutaneous disease or osteomyelitis. DNA homology studies are needed to determine the taxonomic status of these organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Health Center, Tyler 75710.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Silcox
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukamura
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Steingrube
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sumter
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001618:beta-Lactamases