What antibiotics are used to treat Mycobacterium?
The drugs used most often for treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection include a macrolide (eg, clarithromycin, azithromycin), ethambutol, and a rifamycin (eg, rifabutin, rifampin). Clarithromycin or azithromycin in combination with ethambutol and rifabutin are the first-choice drugs.
What disease is caused by Mycobacterium avium?
MAC lung disease is an infection caused a group of bacteria called Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). MAC includes two closely related species, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare, and may also be referred to as MAI.
How is Mycobacterium treated?
Doctors typically recommend a combination of three to four antibiotics, such as clarithromycin, azithromycin, rifampin, rifabutin, ethambutol, streptomycin, and amikacin. They use several antibiotics to prevent the mycobacteria from becoming resistant to any one medication.
Does azithromycin treat Mycobacterium avium?
Macrolide and azalide antibiotics, including clarithromycin and azithromycin, are currently the most important component of multidrug treatment regimens for pulmonary and disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) disease [1–3].
What are the symptoms of Mycobacterium avium?
Symptoms
- Fever.
- Sweating.
- Weight loss.
- Fatigue.
- Diarrhea.
- Shortness of breath.
- Abdominal pain.
- Anemia.
Is MAC a form of TB?
Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is a group of bacteria related to tuberculosis. These germs are very common in food, water, and soil.
Does Mycobacterium avium need to be treated?
In general, MAC infection is treated with 2 or 3 antimicrobials for at least 12 months. Commonly used first-line drugs include macrolides (clarithromycin or azithromycin), ethambutol, and rifamycins (rifampin, rifabutin). Aminoglycosides, such as streptomycin and amikacin, are also used as additional agents.
Is MAC lung disease terminal?
The studies identified in this systematic review show that, in general, patients with MAC lung disease are at a high risk of death following their diagnosis, with a pooled estimate of five-year all-cause mortality of 27%.
What are the symptoms of Mycobacterium avium complex infections?
Mycobacterium avium complex infections can cause various symptoms depending on the site of the infection. For example, pulmonary MAC mainly affects the lungs; disseminated MAC affects the whole body; and MAC lymphadenitis causes swollen lymph nodes.
Why is long term treatment of Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease difficult?
The decision to initiate long-term antibiotic treatment is difficult for the physician due to inconsistent disease progression and adverse effects associated with the antibiotic treatment.
Is the Mycobacterium avium complex ( MAC ) infection contagious?
MAC infections are not thought to be contagious from one person to another. [3] [4] Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection is caused by bacteria and is not an inherited condition. To become infected with MAC bacteria and get sick, a person must first be exposed to one of the associated types of bacteria. [4]
When was Mycobacterium avium first identified in humans?
A newcomer to the Mycobacterium aviumcomplex is the Mycobacterium paraintracellulare, identified in pulmonary infections in Southeast Asia in 2016. M. aviumwas first isolated in chickens 1933 with a cavitary disease resembling tuberculosis. Human cases were identified decades later.