Mycobacterium malmoense

Etymology

Description

• Environmental reservoir: soil and water.

• Smooth and nonpigmented colonies, growth below the surface of semisolid agar medium after deep inoculation, 0.9 - 1.7mm in diameter.

• Growth on inspissated egg medium and oleic acid-albumin agar at a temperature range of 22 °C-37 °C requires over 1 week.
• Susceptible to ethambutol, ethionamide, kanamycin and cycloserine.

• Antigenic structure: seroagglutination demonstrates a single serovar distinct from that of other species.

  Pathogenesis

• Usually infects young children with cervical lymphadenitis or adults with chronic pulmonary disease,.
• Rarely causes extrapulmonary diseases and disseminated infections
• Biosafety level 2

  Type strain

• First isolated from sputum and biopsy specimens with pulmonary disease in Malmö, Sweden.