Current significance of the Mycobacterium chelonae-abscessus group

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019 Jul;94(3):248-254. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.01.021. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Abstract

Organisms of the Mycobacterium chelonae-abscessus group can be significant pathogens in humans. They produce a number of diseases including acute, invasive and chronic infections, which may be difficult to diagnose correctly. Identification among members of this group is complicated by differentiating at least eleven (11) known species and subspecies and complexity of identification methodologies. Treatment of their infections may be problematic due to their correct species identification, antibiotic resistance, their differential susceptibility to the limited number of drugs available, and scarcity of susceptibility testing.

Keywords: Infections produced by Mycobacterium chelonae-abscessus group; Mycobacterium abscessus group; Mycobacterium chelonae-abscessus group.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriological Techniques
  • Diagnostic Tests, Routine
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / diagnosis
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / epidemiology*
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / microbiology*
  • Mycobacterium abscessus / classification
  • Mycobacterium abscessus / drug effects
  • Mycobacterium abscessus / isolation & purification*