title: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria: baseline data from three sites in Papua New Guinea, 2010-2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the proportion of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in samples of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases from Papua New Guinea who were diagnosed using acid-fast microscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of a case detection study for TB, conducted in three provincial hospitals in Papua New Guinea, sputum samples of suspected tuberculous cases aged 15 years or older were collected from November 2010 to July 2012. Mycobacterial species isolated from sputum and grown in culture were examined to distinguish between NTM and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  NTM were detected in 4% (9/225) of sputum samples grown in culture. Five (2.2%) of them were identified as NTM only and four (1.8%) were identified as mixed cultures containing both MTBC and NTM. Four different NTM species were identified; M. fortuitum, M. intracellulare, M. terrae and M. avium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report from Papua New Guinea identifying NTM in three different locations. As NTM cannot be distinguished from M. tuberculosis through smear microscopy, the presence of NTM can lead to a false-positive diagnosis of tuberculosis. The prevalence of NTM should be determined and a diagnostic algorithm developed to confirm acid-fast bacilli in a smear as M. tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.; Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka and Madang, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Serej
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ley
authors.affiliation: Queensland Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane, Australia .
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka and Madang, Papua New Guinea .
authors.forename: Korai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Millan
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka and Madang, Papua New Guinea .
authors.forename: Suparat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phuanukoonnon
authors.affiliation: Queensland Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane, Australia .
authors.forename: Sushil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: Queensland Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane, Australia .
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coulter
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka and Madang, Papua New Guinea .
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siba
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult