title: Epidemiology and clinical significance of non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated from pulmonary specimens.
abstract: METHODS
  A tertiary university medical centre in northern Israel.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical significance of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolated from pulmonary specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and microbiological data were collected from patient files. Cases were classified  as definite, probable and possible NTM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2004 and 2010, 215 cases with respiratory isolates of NTM were identified. Mycobacterium xenopi was the most common species (n = 84, 39.1%), followed by M. simiae (n = 52, 24.2%). A total of 170 (79.1%)  cases were classified as possible and 24 (11.2%) as probable NTM. Only 21 (9.8%) cases were considered definite NTM, the majority of which were M. kansasii and M. avium complex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  M. xenopi and M. simiae are the most prevalent species of NTM isolated  from respiratory samples in northern Israel. However, most of these isolates represent colonisation. Of the relatively small number of clinically significant isolates, M. kansasii and M. avium complex were the most common.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sprecher
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kassis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult