MYCOBACTERIUM-INTERJECTUM, A NEW SPECIES ISOLATED FROM A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC LYMPHADENITIS

Mycobacterium-like organisms, isolates 2081/92 and 4185/92, were recovered from a lymph node of a child with chronic lymphadenitis. The growth characteristics, acid-fastness, and mycolic acids of the isolate were consistent with those for Mycobacterium species. The isolates were biochemically distinct from described Mycobacterium species, although they most closely resembled M. scrofulaceum. Comparative 16S rDNA sequencing showed that these isolates represent a new slow-growing Mycobacterium species which is named M. interjectum. Our results demonstrate the importance of 16S rDNA sequencing for recognizing the diversity of species within the genus Mycobacterium.