Mycobacterial infections other than tuberculosis in the AIDS era

Abstract

The diagnosis of infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacterial species is often delayed due to a lack of familiarity with these pathogens. The increase in these infections due to immunosuppression and their prominent role in AIDS patients makes it imperative that clinicians and laboratorians be knowledgeable about the nontuberculous species of mycobacteria. Hopefully, this brief review will assist in that goal.