Tap water: A possible source of nontuberculous mycobacterial infection in patients with T cell deficiency

Abstract

Five patients, all with severe T cell dysfunction, had invasive non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections diagnosed over a 16 month period, with four meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for hospital-acquired infections. Testing of the hospitals tap water confirmed the presence of NTM. NTM are naturally present in water systems and present a threat to patients with lymphopenia; steps should be taken to avoid NTM exposure when caring for this patient population.

Keywords: Bone marrow transplant; Lymphopenia; Non-tuberculous mycobacteria; Opportunistic infections; Primary immunodeficiency.