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NON TUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIA (NTM) ISOLATED FROM
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY IN A RURAL POPULATION OF BANGALORE DISTRICT |
MM Chauhan: Indian J TB 1993, 40, 195-97. |
Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) that are present
in the environment are responsible for induction of non-specific
tuberculin sensitivity. They not only interfere with the results
of tuberculin surveys, but are reported to influence the protective
effect of BCG also. The prevalence and species distribution of NTM
varies from place to place.
A study was carried out to find out the prevalence
and identification of predominant species of NTM from the sputum
specimens collected from chest symptomatics during an epidemiological
survey in rural population of Bangalore district. Sputum specimens
collected from 4015 tuberculin positive chest symptomatic persons
were subjected for microscopy and culture for mycobacteria. Of the
total 145 (3.6%) specimens showed growth of acid fast bacilli. Of
them, 44 (30.3%) were M.tuberculosis and remaining 101 (69.7%) cultures
were NTM. Specieswise distribution of NTM was as follows: 48% rapid
growers, 26% scotochromogens and 22% non-chromogens. Most frequently
isolated species were M.phlei (16.7%), M.gordonae (13.3%) and M.scrofulaceum.
M.avium complex, M.xenopi, M.fortuitum complex and M.chelonei complex
constituted 3.3% each.
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KEY WORDS: NTM, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY, PREVALENCE. |