title: Diversity and sources of rapidly growing mycobacteria associated with infections following cardiac surgery.
abstract: Eighty-nine isolates of rapidly growing mycobacteria associated with cardiac bypass-related infections were characterized. Isolates from sporadic infections belonged to eight taxonomic groups and displayed numerous multilocus enzyme genotypes, plasmid profiles, and heavy metal and antibiotic resistance patterns. Compared with 449 noncardiac wound isolates, 45 sporadic cardiac isolates were more likely to be Mycobacterium fortuitum and M. smegmatis and less likely to be M. chelonae. About 80% of cardiac and noncardiac isolates were from southern coastal states. Eight outbreaks of cardiac bypass-related infections were identified. Strains from each outbreak were genotypically distinctive, and five outbreaks involved more than one strain. In two outbreaks, isolates from environmental sources and noncardiac infections were similar or identical to isolates from sternal wound infections. The heterogeneity of these isolates suggests that most isolates are unrelated and are derived from local environmental sources rather than from contaminated commercial surgical materials or devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Health Center, Tyler 75710.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Musser
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Silcox
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Forrester
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labidi
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Selander
mesh_terms: D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000494:pharmacology; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D009873:Operating Rooms; D010957:Plasmids; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013249:Sternum; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008670:Metals