Mycobacterium arupense pulmonary infection: Antibiotic resistance and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Mycobacterium arupense is a novel mycobacterium species. It was first identified from clinical specimens in 2006 and since then there have been only two reports of its recovery from clinical samples. In the present case M. arupense was isolated from the sputum of a 62-year-old man with a malignant mass in his left kidney, who presented with a one-month history of recurrent fever, dyspnea and haemoptysis. M. arupense was identified with sequencing of hsp65 and 16S rRNA genes. In the present study, its biochemical profile along with its resistance status and hsp65 RFLP analysis is presented.

Mycobacterium thermoresistibile: Case report of a rarely isolated mycobacterium from Europe and review of literature.

Mycobacterium thermoresistibile is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium strongly associated with human infections. Since 1966, there have only been six reports of its isolation from clinical samples. We report on the first case from Europe and review all the previous cases. Identification was achieved with sequencing of the 16S rRNA and hsp65 genes. This study presents its phenotypic and biochemical profile, susceptibilities to selected antibiotics and hsp65 polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism profile with BsteII and Hae III .

Isolation of Mycobacterium malmoense in the island of Crete, Greece.

Mycobacterium malmoense was isolated from a broncho-alveolar lavage sample of a 73-year-old cancer (small cell lung carcinoma) patient in Crete, representing the first reported case of this pathogen in Greece. The isolate was considered to be a colonizer and the patient did not receive any antimycobacterial treatment while he received chemotherapy to which he responded favourably. No signs of pulmonary infection were noted during the course of his disease. This case provides evidence of the ubiquitous nature of this mycobacterial species, believed until recently to favour cooler climates. We, therefore, propose that the index of suspicion for this pathogen should be raised particularly in patients with underlying immunodeficiency, cancer and chronic lung disease, irrespective of the geographic location.