The epidemiology and geographic distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria clinical isolates from sputum samples in the eastern region of China

Yan Shao; Cheng Chen; Honghuan Song; Guoli Li; Qiao Liu; Yan Li; Limei Zhu; Leonardo Martinez; Wei Lu

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0003623

The epidemiology and geographic distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria clinical isolates from sputum samples in the eastern region of China

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 Mar 16;9(3):e0003623. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003623. eCollection 2015 Mar.

Authors

Yan Shao¹, Cheng Chen¹, Honghuan Song¹, Guoli Li¹, Qiao Liu¹, Yan Li¹, Limei Zhu¹, Leonardo Martinez², Wei Lu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chronic Communicable Disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Georgia School of Public Health, Athens, Georgia, United States of America.

Abstract

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have been reported to be increasing worldwide and its geographic distribution differs by region. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology and distribution of NTM in the eastern part of China.

Methods: Sputum samples were collected from 30 surveillance sites for tuberculosis drug resistance test from May 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Identification was performed using a biochemical test, multiplex PCR and GenoType Mycobacterium CM/AS assay.

Results: A total of 1779 smear positive clinical isolates were obtained, of which 60 (3.37%) were NTM. Five species/complex of NTM were identified; M. intracellulare was the predominated species (68.33%), followed by M. abscessus-M. immunogenum (13.33%), Mycobacterium spec. (10.00%), M. Kansasii (6.67%) and M. peregrinum-M. alvei-M. septicum (1.67%).

Conclusion: M. intracellulare was the main species of NTM in the eastern part of China and clinical physicians should pay more attention to NTM induced pulmonary disease.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China / epidemiology
Humans
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / epidemiology
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / isolation & purification*
Sputum / microbiology*

Grants and funding

National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China (CN), grant number: [W201208], WL, http://www.nhfpc.gov.cn/; The National Natural Science Foundation, grant number: [81302480], LZ, http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.