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. 2013 May 25:13:241.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-13-241.

Mycobacterium abscessus isolated from municipal water - a potential source of human infection

Rachel Thomson  1 , Carla Tolson, Hanna Sidjabat, Flavia Huygens, Megan Hargreaves
Affiliations

Mycobacterium abscessus isolated from municipal water - a potential source of human infection

Rachel Thomson et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Mycobacterium abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacterium responsible for progressive pulmonary disease, soft tissue and wound infections. The incidence of disease due to M. abscessus has been increasing in Queensland. In a study of Brisbane drinking water, M. abscessus was isolated from ten different locations.The aim of this study was to compare genotypically the M. abscessus isolates obtained from water to those obtained from human clinical specimens.

Methods: Between 2007 and 2009, eleven isolates confirmed as M. abscessus were recovered from potable water, one strain was isolated from a rainwater tank and another from a swimming pool and two from domestic taps. Seventy-four clinical isolates referred during the same time period were available for comparison using rep-PCR strain typing (Diversilab).

Results: The drinking water isolates formed two clusters with ≥97% genetic similarity (Water patterns 1 and 2). The tankwater isolate (WP4), one municipal water isolate (WP3) and the pool isolate (WP5) were distinctly different. Patient isolates formed clusters with all of the water isolates except for WP3. Further patient isolates were unrelated to the water isolates.

Conclusion: The high degree of similarity between strains of M. abscessus from potable water and strains causing infection in humans from the same geographical area, strengthens the possibility that drinking water may be the source of infection in these patients.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
rep-PCR dendrogram of M. abscessus water strains with Pearson Correlation Analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
rep-PCR dendrogram of examples of main clinical strain patterns 17 (1, green) and 15 (2, orange) demonstrating similarities between water and clinical isolates. (Full dendrogram in Additional file 1).
Figure 3
Figure 3
rep-PCR dendrogram showing examples of different strain patterns where there were similarities between clinical and water strains.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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