Nontuberculous mycobacteria in the hospital environment
Toma, F.
Bacteriologia Virusologia Parazitologia Epidemiologia 43(4): 229-235
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 1220-3696 PMID: 10422317 Document Number: 492020
Mycobacteria other than tubercle (MOTT) are ubiquitous. Mycobacterial disease is most common at the extremes of age and at the patients with malignancy or HIV infection. In an attempt to establish effective measures to prevent nosocomial disease which has become increasingly important we investigated the presence of MOTT in hospital environment of oncological and pediatric units. Between 1994-1997, 21 strains of MOTT were isolated from 500 environmental specimens (4.2% positive samples). The sources of MOTT were tap water and dust. The most frequent species was Mycobacterium marinum.