RESUMO
Background and Methodolgoy: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) has not been reported as an opportunistic pathogen among patients with AIDS in the Indian subcontinent. Blood samples were cultured for mycobacteria using BACTEC 460TB system from 71 HIV seropositive and 33 seronegative patients, tested at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagam between August 2001 and December 2002. Results: MAC and M. simiae were isolated from three patients each. All the six patients with mycobacteremia were AIDS cases. Clinically, none of them was diagnosed as a case of mycobacteremia. However, laboratory results confirmed the dissemination of MAC and M. simiae among these patients. Conclusion: These results confirm that disseminated MAC and M. simiae disease exist among AIDS patients in India also.