Assessment of the detection of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in the Republic of Mari El

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria, ubiquitous microorganisms, are natural inhabitants of the environment and can be found in soil, water, and water-based aerosols and dust. Therefore, human contact with non-tuberculous mycobacteria is a common and almost inevitable occurrence, but there are also epidemiological differences in geographical variability, which are reflected in the species diversity of mycobacteria isolated from clinical samples. The aim of the study is to assess the detection of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in the Republic of Mari El during medical care. Material and methods. An epidemiological descriptive and evaluative study was conducted among patients who visited medical organizations in the Republic of Mari El during the period 2015–2023. Statistical analysis was performed using the StatTech v. 4.8.0 program (developed by StatTech LLC, Russia). Results and discussion. The structure of the biological material obtained from patients with non-tuberculous mycobacteria was characterized by a predominance of sputum (96.8 %). When analyzing the number of patients over time, a 4.9-fold increase was observed. Men (53.4 %) and urban residents (61.2 %) were predominant among the patients. A total of 31.3 % of patients had repeated excretions. The average age of individuals with non-tuberculous mycobacteria was 58 years. Mycobacteriosis was detected in 81 patients (18.4 %), with Micobacterium intracellulare (44.4 %) and M. avium (27.2 %) being the most common pathogens. In the structure of species diversity, M. gordonae (28.5 %), M. intracellulare (21.0 %), and M. avium (14.4 %) were found to predominate among all the individuals examined. In 19 individuals, different species were detected sequentially or simultaneously. Among urban residents, M. gordonae (26.1 %), M. intracellulare (13.8 %), and M. avium (11.1 %) prevailed, while among rural residents, M. intracellulare (19.4 %), M. gordonae (16.4 %), and M. avium (12.3 %) prevailed. Conclusions. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolated from the population of the Republic of Mari El are mostly slow-growing mycobacteria, and they predominate among men, urban residents, and the 50–60 age group.

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