Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) cause an increasing international concern, mainly due to their natural resistance to many antibiotics. The aim of this study was to conduct species identification and determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of RGM isolated in Poland. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using broth microdilution and the RAPMYCOI panel. A total of 60 strains were analysed, including the following species: M. fortuitum complex (30), M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (16), M. abscessus subsp. massiliense (7), M. chelonae (5), and M. mucogenicum (2). For 12 M. abscessus subsp. abscessus strains, the presence of the erm 41T28 genotype associated with inducible macrolide resistance and a functional erm gene was confirmed. A MUT2 mutation in the rrl gene (constitutive resistance) was identified for two strains from the subtype M. abscessus subsp. massiliense. Among the 15 tested antibiotics, amikacin and linezolid had the strongest antimycobacterial activity. Most of the tested strains were resistant to doxycycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Tigecycline MICs were low for all tested strains. Findings from our study highlight the importance of correct identification of clinical isolates and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; broth microdilution; minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC); rapidly growing mycobacteria.