Abstract
Nontuberculous mycobacteria constitute a subgroup among the Mycobacterium genus, a genus of Gram-positive bacteria that includes numerous pathogenic bacteria. In the present study, Mycobacterium spp. were detected in natural water samples from two Austrian rivers (Kamp and Wulka) using three different primers and PCR procedures for the identification of the 16S rRNA and hsp65 genes. Water samples were collected from the Kamp (45 samples) and Wulka (25 samples) in the summer and winter of 2018 and 2019. Molecular evidence showed a high prevalence of Mycobacterium sp. in these rivers with prevalence rates estimated at approximately 94.3% across all rivers. The present study represents the first survey into the prevalence of Mycobacterium sp. in natural water in Austria. Because nontuberculous mycobacteria have known pathogenic potential, including zoonotic, these findings may have implications for health management and public health.
Highlights
Mycobacterium spp. belong to the family Mycobacteriaceae and are Gram-positive, nonmotile, facultative aerobic acid fast bacilli [1]
Most species of Mycobacterium spp. are labelled “nontuberculous mycobacteria” (NTM), a term that excludes the members of the M. tuberculous complex and M. leprae, as well as a few closely related species, which have historically represented the members of this genus with the most severe impact on human health [4,5]
NTMs were more common in this study with 78% of the samples being positive for Mycobacterium sp. and about 15% contaminated with mycobacteria with pathogenic potential [42]
Summary
Mycobacterium spp. belong to the family Mycobacteriaceae and are Gram-positive, nonmotile, facultative aerobic acid fast bacilli [1]. This genus is found under a wide geographical area, encompassing a wide range of optimal growing temperatures (25–35 ◦C) [2,3]. Due to the slow bacterial growth rate and the time required for the development of colonies and turbidity on either solid or liquid media, diagnosis based on bacterial isolation and colony morphology is not considered an appropriate procedure to identify Mycobacterium spp. Several other methods have been utilized for the identification of this genus, in particular molecular diagnostic methods based on the DNA or RNA [8]
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