CHARACTERIZATION OF NONTUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIUM SPECIES DETECTED FROM SPUTUM SAMPLES OF SUBJECTS IN NORTHERN VIETNAM

Nontuberculous mycobacteria in the North of Vietnam

Abstract

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are opportunistic infections that can proliferate in humans, animals and the environment. NTM and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) are both acid-fast bacilli, therefore conventional tests such as Ziehl-Neelsen staining cannot tell them apart. For the treatment of NTM infection, a macrolide-containing regimen is frequently necessary to overcome innate resistance to first-line antituberculosis medications. Knowing the prevalent species of local NTM, particularly from clinical samples, may suggest suitable treatments when necessary. In order to identify NTM, sequencing the hsp65 gene, a trustworthy and frequently used method, and qPCR for detection of MTB, was carried out in 1,003 sputum samples from suspected tuberculosis patients in northern Vietnam. Among these, 86 (8.5%) were labeled NTM, while 118 (11.7%) MTB were found. M. avium (n = 32, 37%), M. abscessus (n = 18, 21%), M. simiae (n = 13, 15%), and M. fortuitum (n = 12, 14%) were the four largest complex groups among the 86 NTM. In this study, the distribution of common NTM was comparable to other reports from TB-burden countries including China, India and other South East Asian nations. This study provided information on the prevalent NTM species in northern Vietnam, which may aid scientists and physicians in understanding the variety of local mycobacteria.