Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, Botswana, 2011–2014

Abstract

We documented a 6-fold increase in the frequency of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated from clinical samples in Botswana during 2011–2014. Because antituberculosis treatment is often initiated only on the basis of acid-fast bacilli smear-positive microscopy results, some patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections might have received inappropriate treatment.

Keywords

• Botswana
• nontuberculous mycobacteria
• Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare
• Tuberculosis and other mycobacteria
• bacteria
• drug susceptibility