title: Environmental mycobacteria in areas of high and low tuberculosis prevalence in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
abstract: This research compared the numbers and types of different Mycobacterium species in soil samples taken from 2 areas of Golestan province, Islamic Republic of Iran, 1 with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and 1 with a low prevalence. From 220 samples, 91 grew positive cultures (41.4%) and 161 different strains were diagnosed. The most common species isolated were Mycobacterium fortuitum, M. flavescens and M. chelonae. The frequencies of environmental Mycobacterium in the low-prevalence area were much higher than in the high-prevalence area, perhaps due to different environmental fac-
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Islamic Republic of Iran. eghaemi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghaemi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghazisaidi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koohsari
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Khodabakhshi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mansoorian
mesh_terms: D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016926:Mycobacterium chelonae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019907:Mycobacterium fortuitum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019909:Mycobacterium kansasii / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019910:Mycobacterium marinum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine