<em>Mycobacterium abscessus: </em>Environmental Bacterium Turned Clinical Nightmare

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints201901.0273.v1
• Publication Date: 2019-02-13T21:32:12Z
• Authors: Rose C. Lopeman; James Harrison; Maya Desai; Jonathan A. G. Cox
• Keywords: Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; Mycobacterium abscessus; Mycobacterium marinum

Mycobacteria are a large family of over 100 species, most which do not cause diseases in humans. The majority the mycobacterial species referred to as nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), meaning they causative agent tuberculous (TB) or leprosy, i.e. Mycobacterium complex and leprae, respectively. latter group is undoubtedly infamous, with TB infecting an estimated 10 million people causing 1.2 deaths 2017 alone (1). leprosy also differ from NTM that only transmitted person have no environmental reservoir, whereas infections commonly acquired environment (2) (3). It took until 1950's for be recognised potential lung pathogen underlying pulmonary disease another 3 decades widely by medical community when NTM, particularly avium (MAC) was common opportunistic pathogens AIDS patients (4). This review focusses on emerging called abscessus (M. abs). M. abs rapidly growing (RGM) responsible structural disorders such cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis (5), well wide range skin soft tissue (SSTIs) humans (6) (7). weakly staining Gram-positive mycobacterium neverand is, like other often seen soil aquatic environments (8). bacillus-shaped bacterium 1-6&amp;micro;m long 0.2-0.5&amp;micro;m diameter, curved ends presence cord factor, trehalose 6-6'-dimycolate, glycolipid found cell wall virulent results "serpentine cord" morphology sometimes observed (8) (9). On solid growth medium, can display either rough abs-R) smooth abs-S) morphotype, morphotype displaying more phenotype than its variant (10). characterised irregular parallel filaments form ridges across colony, displays wet, colony (79). driven glycopeptidolipid (GPL); loss GPL reversion (80) (81). Moreover, it has been shown using human culture models infection abs-R able persist multiply within host macrophage abs-S lacks this capacity, hence role virulence (82). Like all mycobacteria, aerobic, non-motile acid-fast organisms characteristically thick, lipid-rich hydrophobic. Due their unusually impermeable, thick wall, notoriously resistant many antibiotics, disinfectants heavy metals (11). When genome became available 2009, elucidation resistance mechanisms area focus scientific research, considerable threat poses public health apparent (12) (13) (14). In we will discuss how came understand pathogen, currently treated, discussion drug novel treatments development.