Hi all…I came across what could be a very important article today which may not attract the attention of drinking water professionals as it has just been published in the CDCs Emerging Infectious Diseases journal which isn’t widely read in our circles. It identifies a relationship between Mycobacterium avium complex in humans and premise plumbing. This is important because “nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are opportunistic human pathogens. Several species of NTM, including members of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), can cause potentially life–threatening pulmonary infections that are difficult to treat.”
The authors conclude by stating “Proof of an environmental source of M. avium has broad implications regarding prevention of recurrent infection in existing patients as well as prevention of new disease in susceptible persons. Additional studies are needed to establish effective methods for eliminating environmental reservoirs of M. avium and other problematic NTM. Tackling this challenging problem will require engagement of water utility workers, plumbers, environmental scientists, and engineers.”
Bill
Mycobacterium avium in Community and Household Water, Suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 2010-2012
Leah Lande, David C. Alexander, Richard J. Wallace, Rebecca Kwait, Elena Iakhiaeva, Myra Williams, Andrew D.S. Cameron, Stephen Olshefsky, Ronit Devon, Ravikiran Vasireddy, Donald D. Peterson, and Joseph O. Falkinham
Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 25, Number 3—March 2019
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/25/3/18-0336_article
ABSTRACT
“Attention to environmental sources of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection is a vital component of disease prevention and control. We investigated MAC colonization of household plumbing in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. We used variable-number tandem-repeat genotyping and whole-genome sequencing with core genome single-nucleotide variant analysis to compare M. avium from household plumbing biofilms with M. avium isolates from patient respiratory specimens. M. avium was recovered from 30 (81.1%) of 37 households, including 19 (90.5%) of 21 M. avium patient households. For 11 (52.4%) of 21 patients with M. avium disease, isolates recovered from their respiratory and household samples were of the same genotype. Within the same community, 18 (85.7%) of 21 M. aviumrespiratory isolates genotypically matched household plumbing isolates. Six predominant genotypes were recovered across multiple households and respiratory specimens. M. avium colonizing municipal water and household plumbing may be a substantial source of MAC pulmonary infection.”
