Mycobacterium avium intracellulare
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| Mycobacterium avium subsp. intracellulare | ||||||||||||||
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 Mycobacterium avium subsp. intracellulare bacteria in lymph tissue.
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Synonyms and key words: MAI
Overview
Mycobacterium avium intracellulare is an atypical mycobacterial infection which can occur in the later stages of AIDS. It can also affect women who do not have AIDS and usually first presents as a persistent cough.
Pathophysiology
MAI is a saprotrophic organism that is present in soil and water, entry is usually via the GI tract but also can be via the lungs.
Clinical manifestations
It causes fevers, diarrhoea, malabsorption and anorexia and it can disseminate to the bone marrow.
Treatment
Therapy for MAI presents a challenge as it is typically resistant to standard mycobacterial therapies. It is normally treated with a series of 3 antibiotics for a period of at least 6 months.