DISSEMINATED INFECTION WITH MYCOBACTERIUM -CELATUM

A 29-year-old patient with AIDS was hospitalized with weight loss, fev er and cough. Mycobacterial cultures from sputum, blood and bronchoalv eolar lavage became positive after 3 weeks' incubation. When using a D NA probe for identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, a w eakly positive signal was obtained. Tuberculosis was suspected and tre atment was Started with isoniazid, ethambutol and ciprofloxacin. Seque ncing of the gene of the 16S rRNA, however, identified the isolates as belonging to a new, slow-growing atypical mycobacterial species, Myco bacterium celatum (M. celatum). Treatment was modified to rake into ac count the previously described primary resistance of M. celatum to ant ituberculous drugs, whereupon the patient improved.