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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.

KEY WORDS: NTM, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY, PREVALENCE.
 
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