Abstract
Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) frequently and innocuously colonizes healthy individuals; however, disseminated MAC (DMAC), also known as MAC disease, is the most common bacterial infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). DMAC also occurs in other immunocompromised patients. DMAC is a late complication in the natural history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) when T-helper cell counts drop below 100 cells per mm3. Because DMAC is not reportable for surveillance purposes in the United States, its prevalence is unknown. Although environmental water sources constitute the greatest human exposure risk, a relationship between clinical and environmental MAC strains has not been established. DMAC generally is preceded by gastrointestinal or respiratory colonization. Rapid MAC identification in clinical specimens facilitates the evaluation and provision of new drug therapies and treatment strategies.
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