title: [Infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria].
abstract: Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are ubiquitous in nature and widely distributed in water, soil and animals. During the past three decades we have observed a notable increment of infections caused by RGM, both localized and disseminated, as well as nosocomial outbreaks of contaminated medical equipment. The microbiological diagnosis of RGM infections includes direct microscopic observation and culture. The taxonomic identification is performed by phenotypic, biochemical, chromatographic and molecular biology techniques. The treatment differs from that of other mycobacteriosis like tuberculosis, owing to the variable in vitro susceptibility of the species of this group. The RGM are resistant to conventional antituberculous drugs, but can be susceptible to broad spectrum antimicrobial agents. In this study we comment on the significant aspects of human infections by RGM, including their biology, epidemiology, pathology, microbiological diagnosis, taxonomic identification, antimicrobial susceptibility and treatment.
authors: Unidad de Micobacterias, Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain. pedromartos@hotmail.com
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: García-Martos
authors: Lidia
authors: L
authors: García-Agudo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents