title: Drug susceptibility of rapid and slow growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated from symptomatics for pulmonary tuberculosis, Central India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are emerging as important pathogens. Their treatment also differs from that of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In India, any datum on them is scarce as species identification and drug susceptibility are not performed in most laboratories. Susceptibility also differs from one geographic area to another, and in our country, there are no data even to guide the clinicians to start treatment empirically.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study endeavours to generate drug susceptibility data on NTM isolated from sputum samples collected and stored from 6445 symptomatics for pulmonary tuberculosis during a prevalence survey and from specimens received from the hospital. Isolates were not necessarily associated with the disease. Species were identified and antibiotic susceptibility was performed using micro-broth dilution technique as per the standard Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 65 NTM with 11 species were identified, of which 27 belonged to Mycobacterium fortuitum complex, 14 Mycobacterium gordonae, 9 Mycobacterium avium, 7 Mycobacterium flavescens, 4 Mycobacterium scrofulaceum and one each of others. Sensitivity to amikacin for M. fortuitum was 95.22% (20 out of 21), followed by ciprofloxacin (76.19%) and clarithromycin (71.42%). All the 9 M. avium isolates, 11 of M. gordonae (78.57%), 5 of M. flavescens and 2 of M. scrofulaceum were sensitive to clarithromycin. All NTM were resistant to first-line antitubercular drugs except 8, which were sensitive to streptomycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drug sensitivity of NTM varies from species to species. While amikacin was the best for rapidly growing mycobacteria, clarithromycin was the most active drug against M. avium and other slow growers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mendiratta
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000382:microbiology*; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents