Non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated at the end of the world

Abstract

Introduction: Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a group of mycobacteria widely distributed in the environment (e.g. soil and water). NTM can also cause infections in different mammals, mostly in immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, they may interfere with the ante-mortem diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) by the tuberculin skin test. In this work, two isolates of NTM species were obtained from soil of Tierra del Fuego, the only province free of BTB and brucellosis in Argentina. Objective: Isolate and identify non-tuberculous mycobacteria from soil from Tierra del Fuego province.