How does Mycobacterium cause infection?

You may develop a nontuberculous mycobacterial infection if you drink contaminated water. Bacteria can also enter the body through a break in the skin, such as a puncture wound that gets contaminated with water or soil. Inhaling the bacteria also puts you at risk for infection.

What is an NTM infection?

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria, or NTM, are a group of bacteria that cause rare lung infections. NTM mainly affects people who have damaged lungs or who have a problem with their immune system. These infections are sometimes known as NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD).

What bacteria causes NTM?

The great majority of NTM lung disease in the U.S. is caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). Everyone comes into contact with NTM, but it usually only causes infection in people with underlying lung disease, such as bronchiectasis or COPD, a weakened immune system or older age.

What is the most common complication of mycobacterial infection?

Mycobacteria are a type of germ. There are many different kinds. The most common one causes tuberculosis. Another one causes leprosy.

What is the difference between bacteria and mycobacteria?

Mycobacteria have an outer membrane. They do not have capsules, and most do not form endospores. The distinguishing characteristic of all Mycobacterium species is that the cell wall is thicker than in many other bacteria, which is hydrophobic, waxy, and rich in mycolic acids/mycolates.

Why are mycobacterial infections persistent?

A subset of pathogens, like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, cause persistent infections by employing virulence mechanisms that evade immune detection and inhibit adaptive responses (3, 4). This results in M. tuberculosis infections causing the most deaths by infectious disease each year (5).

What is the difference between NTM and MAC?

NTM includes a number of different species, but the most common one causing disease is MAC. MAC is not spread person to person like Mtb. MAC is not contagious. MAC lung disease seen in HIV (-) (non-AIDS) patients is a chronic lung infection and is often misdiagnosed as chronic bronchitis or recurrent pneumonia.

Why are mycobacterial infections often persistent?

In addition to sequestration from the immune system and antibiotics, another factor contributing to persistent infection is the ability of bacteria to adopt an altered physiologic state against which current antibiotics that predominantly target replicating cells are less efficacious.

Is Mycobacterium a fungus or bacteria?

Mycobacteria are characterized by the possession of very thick, waxy, lipid-rich hydrophobic cell walls. Being hydrophobic, they tend to grow as fungus-like pellicles on liquid culture media: hence the name Mycobacterium – ‘fungus bacterium.

Where does Mycobacterium live?

Mycobacteria are widespread organisms, typically living in water (including tap water treated with chlorine) and food sources. Some, however, including the tuberculosis and the leprosy organisms, appear to be obligate parasites and are not found as free-living members of the genus.

What happens if you have an infection for a long time?

An untreated bacterial infection can also put you at risk for developing a life-threatening condition called sepsis. Sepsis occurs when an infection causes an extreme reaction in your body. The bacteria most likely to cause sepsis include Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and some types of Streptococcus.

How does the body’s immune response operate to fight infection?

If an antigen enters the body and B-cells recognize it (either from having had the disease before or from being vaccinated against it), B-cells will produce antibodies. When antibodies attach to an antigen (think a lock–key configuration), it signals other parts of the immune system to attack and destroy the invaders.