Verification of Frequency in Species of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Kermanshah Drinking Water Supplies Using the PCR-Sequencing Method.
BACKGROUND
Nontuberculous mycobacteria are habitants of environment, especially in aquatic systems. Some of them cause problems in immunodeficient patients. Over the last decade, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was established in 45 novel species of nontuberculous mycobacteria. Experiences revealed that this method underestimates the diversity, but does not distinguish between some of mycobacterium subsp. To recognize emerging rapidly growing mycobacteria and identify their subsp, rpoB gene sequencing has been developed.


OBJECTIVE
To better understand the transmission of nontuberculous mycobacterial species from drinking water and preventing the spread of illness with these bacteria, the aim of this study was to detect the presence of bacteria by PCR-sequencing techniques.


METHODS
Drinking water samples were collected from different areas of Kermanshah city in west of IRAN. After decontamination with cetylpyridinium chloride, samples were filtered with 0.45-micron filters, the filter transferred directly on growth medium waiting to appear in colonies, then DNA extraction and PCR were performed, and products were sent to sequencing.


RESULTS
We found 35/110 (32%) nontuberculous mycobacterial species in drinking water samples, isolates included Mycobacterium goodii, Mycobacterium aurum, and Mycobacterium gastri with the most abundance (11.5%), followed by Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium porcinum, Mycobacterium peregrinum, Mycobacterium mucogenicum, and Mycobacterium chelonae (8%).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, we recognized the evidence of contamination by nontuberculous mycobacteria in corroded water pipes. As a result of the high prevalence of these bacteria in drinking water in Kermanshah, this is important evidence of transmission through drinking water. This finding can also help public health policy makers control these isolates in drinking water supplies in Kermanshah.
1 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
Parviz
P
Mohajeri
1 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
Laya
L
Yazdani
2 Department of Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran, Iran .
Abdolrazagh Hashemi
AH
Shahraki
1 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
Amirhoshang
A
Alvandi
3 West Tuberculosis Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
Sara
S
Atashi
4 Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz, Iran .
Abbas
A
Farahani
5 Department of Environmental Health, Public Health College, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
Ali
A
Almasi
6 Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah, Iran .
Mansour
M
Rezaei
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D007492:Iran; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000379:methods
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D060766:Drinking Water; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
cetylpyridinium chloride; drinking water; nontuberculous mycobacteria; rapidly growing mycobacteria