Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections (Disease/Disorder Overview) (Clinical Report‪)‬

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) comprise a variety of species and are responsible for a wide range of clinical syndromes. They encompass all mycobacterial species other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB) and Mycobacterium leprae. Nontuberculous mycobacteria have been known since the time of Robert Koch, but historically they have been overshadowed by tuberculosis and dismissed as contaminants. Their clinical significance has only been recently appreciated. With advances in molecular microbiology and knowledge of these organisms, NTM are now recognized as true pathogens and important causes of human infection. MICROBIOLOGY