Evidence of an environmental reservoir for emergent Mycobacterium colombiense

Abstract

Mycobacterium colombiense, which belongs to the M. avium complex, is reported to have been isolated from cases of disseminated infection in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. During the isolation of protists from water samples in French Guyana, we co-isolated a flagellated green alga (Polytoma sp.) and a mycobacterium identified as M. colombiense.

Keywords

• Environmental reservoir
• human infection
• Mycobacterium colombiense
• Polytomasp.
• RpoB