To isolate & speciate NTM from AIDS patients.
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, in a rural medical college. Adult patient of any sex, HIV seropositive, CD4 counts <200cells/cumm or active TB with CD4 counts>200cells/cumm were included in this study. Complete blood counts and CD4 counts were done. Blood, sputum, stool and other extra-pulmonary samples were processed for my cobacteria. BACTEC 13A medium for blood samples, Lowenstein Jensen and BACTEC 12B medium for other samples were used for processing. For isolation of NTM, a special medium using paraffin coated slides were used. ZN stained smears were examined for all samples other than blood. Identification of the isolates was done by standard techniques.
65% patients were TB symptomatics with cough, fever, breathlessness and loss of weight. Chest X-rays finding were infiltration and air space consolidation and cavity in 3% cases. A total of 7 non mycobacterial isolates were isolated comprising of MAC (3), M. simiae (3) and unidentifiable mycobacterial species (1). Mycobacteria were isolated from various samples viz. stool samples (1 M. avium and 1 M. simiae) and blood (2 MAC, 2 M. simiae, and 1 unidentifiable mycobacterial species. In two patients same species was recovered from both blood and stool.
Mycobacteria other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis also cause disease in AIDS patients.
Mycobacteria identification, M. avium, M. simiae
