Mycobacterium simiae infection in a patient with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

• Main Author: Sampaio,J.L.M.
• Publication Date: 2001
• Other Authors: Artiles,N., Pereira,R.M.G., Souza,J.R., Leite,J.P.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases
• Download full: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-86702001000600010
• topic: Mycobacterium simiae; AIDS; RFLP

Mycobacterium simiae is usually an environmental contaminant rarely associated with human disease. We report a fatal case of M.simiae infection in a 37 year old, HIV positive, male from whom the organism was isolated from blood culture. The identification of M.simiae was performed using DNA amplification followed by analysis on 3% agarose gel of the amplicon fragments after digestion by restriction endonucleases. The precise identification of mycobacterial isolates to the species level is important, with both epidemiological and therapeutic implications.