       Document 0446
 DOCN  M9440446
 TI    Isolation of Mycobacterium avium complex from water in the United
       States, Finland, Zaire, and Kenya.
 DT    9404
 AU    von Reyn CF; Waddell RD; Eaton T; Arbeit RD; Maslow JN; Barber TW;
       Brindle RJ; Gilks CF; Lumio J; Lahdevirta J; et al; Infectious Disease
       Section, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center,; Lebanon, New Hampshire
       03756.
 SO    J Clin Microbiol. 1993 Dec;31(12):3227-30. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/94140996
 AB    Disseminated infection with organisms of the Mycobacterium avium complex
       (MAC) is a common complication of AIDS in the United States and other
       developing countries, but it is rare or absent in sub-Saharan Africa. To
       assess the comparative likelihood of exposure to MAC in these geographic
       areas, we used a standard protocol to culture 91 water samples from
       environmental sites and piped water supply systems in the United States,
       Finland, Zaire, and Kenya. MAC was isolated from all geographic areas
       and from 22 of 91 (24%) samples. Isolation rates were 13 of 47 (28%) for
       environmental samples and 9 of 44 (20%) for water supply samples.
       Overall isolation rates were 18 of 52 (35%) samples in the United States
       and Finland, whereas they were 4 of 39 (10%) samples in Zaire and Kenya
       (P = 0.015). MAC isolation rates from water supply systems were 8 of 25
       (32%) samples in the United States and Finland and 1 of 19 (5%) samples
       in Zaire and Kenya (P = 0.056). MAC was isolated from hospital water in
       the United States and Finland but not in hospital water in Zaire and
       Kenya. Serovar determinations showed that six of eight isolates from the
       United States were serovar 4 or 8. One MAC isolate from Zaire was
       identified as an X mycobacterium. These data suggest that exposure to
       MAC in water is likely in diverse areas of the world, but that the
       likelihood of human exposure to the organism in water may be slightly
       less in sub-Saharan Africa than in developed countries in the Northern
       Hemisphere.
 DE    AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY/ETIOLOGY  Comparative
       Study  Disease Reservoirs  Finland/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Human
       Kenya/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Mycobacterium avium Complex/CLASSIFICATION/GROWTH &
       DEVELOPMENT/  *ISOLATION & PURIF  Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare
       Infection/EPIDEMIOLOGY/  ETIOLOGY  Serotyping  Support, U.S. Gov't,
       P.H.S.  United States/EPIDEMIOLOGY  *Water Microbiology
       Zaire/EPIDEMIOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

