CUTANEOUS AND PULMONARY INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MYCOBACTERIUM-VACCAE

Mycobacterium vaccae is a rapidly growing mycobacterial species that w as previously not considered a human pathogen, We report four cases of M. vaccae infection that occurred in the southern United States; one patient had cutaneous disease, and three patients had cavitary lung di sease, Two of the three patients with pulmonary disease had a history of exposure to cattle, The conditions of all patients improved with th erapy: the cutaneous infection responded to therapy with minocycline a nd trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and the pulmonary infections respond ed to therapy with ciprofloxacin.