title: Identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria existing in tap water by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism.
abstract: This paper presents the finding of the possible cause of the high false-positive rate in acid-fast staining in histological examinations. Using acid-fast staining, culture, and PCR, acid-fast bacilli were detected in 83.7% of 49 hospital tap water samples and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) were detected in 20.4% of the same 49 samples. The 10 NTM isolates were also identified to the species level using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Our findings indicate that NTM in hospital tap water are the possible cause of false positives in acid-fast staining and of nosocomial infection in immunocompromised patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, Yuan's General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chiao-Tang
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ling-Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chen-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Shiao-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D014871:Water Microbiology