INFECTION WITH A FASTIDIOUS MYCOBACTERIUM RESEMBLING MYCOBACTERIUM-SIMIAE IN 7 PATIENTS WITH AIDS

We report the clinical features of seven patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who were infected with a new, fastidious mycobacterium, and we describe the microbiologic properties of the isolates. All patients but one had had a previous AIDS-defining illness; the median CD4 lymphocyte count was 7/muL. Fevers and wasting were the most common signs and symptoms, followed by abdominal pain and diarrhea. The mycobacterium grew fastidiously on solid media and resembled Mycobacterium simiae on chromatography. We conclude that this mycobacterium infects profoundly immunosuppressed patients with AIDS. The clinical features at presentation are comparable to those reported in patients with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection.