Mycobacterium avium

Question 1

Two species are hard to distinguish so medically termed what?

Answer 1

MAC: Mycobacterium avium –intracellulare Complex

Question 2

Transmitted how?

Answer 2

by inhaling aerosolized droplets or drinking water.

Question 3

diseases caused by MAC?

Answer 3

• Atypical pneumonia (Lady Windermere Syndrome) in elderly women.
• Lymphadenitis in children
• Highly disseminated disease in AIDS patients with CD4+ count <50 cells/ul often originating from GI tract.

Question 4

Treatment?

Answer 4

with 2-3 antibiotics for at least 12 months:

1. Macrolide (clarithromycin)
2. Rifampin
3. Aminoglycoside (streptomycin)