DISTRIBUTION OF SEROTYPES, IS901 AND A 40 KDA PROTEIN IN MYCOBACTERIUM-AVIUM COMPLEX STRAINS ISOLATED FROM MAN AND ANIMALS IN DENMARK

The aim of the present study was to characterize all strains of the My cobacterium avium complex isolated in Denmark in 1993. A total of 141 M. avium complex strains (86 from man, 38 from animals, and 17 from pe at) were analysed by serotyping, ELISA specific for a 40 kDa protein, and IS901-specific PCR. Serotype analysis showed that the most frequen t serotypes among human strains were serotype 4 (27%) and serotype 6 ( 19%), which differs from an earlier survey where serotype 1 was most p revalent. The most frequent serotypes in animals were serotype 2 (53%) and serotype 6 (13%), whereas the most prevalent serotypes among stra ins isolated from peat were serotype 4 (29%) and serotype 9 (18%). The re was a concurrent appearance of IS901 and p40 in all strains. Only M . avium complex strains isolated from animals, and belonging to seroty pe 1 or serotype 2, contained the IS901/p40 markers. The different dis tribution of serotypes of M. avium complex strains in animals and man, and the presence of IS901/p40 exclusively in animal strains, suggests that transmission of M. avium from animals to man is not of significa nce in Denmark.