SOURCES OF MYCOBACTERIUM-AVIUM COMPLEX INFECTION RESULTING IN HUMAN DISEASES

Abstract

Human disease caused by organisms in the M. avium complex occur virtually world-wide. A 20 yr on-going study conducted in West Germany was analyzed to elucidate the ecologic and epidemiologic characteristics of these infections in man. Organisms included in this investigation were cultured from man, domestic and wild animals and fowl, and from a variety of environmental sources. In addition to the usual taxonomic studies of these bacilli, infrasubspecific typing by seroagglutination enabled identification of 3 distinct serogroups: the classical M. avium strains (serovars avium 1, 2 and 3), the intermediate group (avium serovars 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11), and the less frequently encountered organisms, the 11 remaining avium serovars (7 and 12-21). Analysis of the number of strains in each of the 3 serogroups, derived, respectively, from man, animals and the environment, enabled conclusions on reservoirs and sources of human infection with these agents.