Epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium complex infecting AIDS patients

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dc.contributor.authorEaton, Twillaen
dc.contributor.committeechairFalkinham, Joseph O. IIIen
dc.contributor.committeememberKrieg, Noel R.en
dc.contributor.committeememberLederman, Muriel L.en
dc.contributor.departmentMicrobiologyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:32:25Zen
dc.date.adate2010-03-30en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:32:25Zen
dc.date.issued1993-12-06en
dc.date.rdate2010-03-30en
dc.date.sdate2010-03-30en
dc.description.abstractOrganisms of the <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> complex cause disseminated infections in 25 to 50 % of patients with AIDS. To assess the likelihood of exposure to M avium, we attempted to recover M. avium complex from environmental samples in geographical areas (Boston, Massachusetts; Hanover, New Hampshire; Helsinki, Finland; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kinsasha, Zaire) located near <i>M. avium</i> infected AIDS patients. Although <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from environmental samples at all sites, it was found more frequently in water supply systems in the United States and Finland (8/25, 32 %) compared to water supply samples from Africa (0/14, 0%). To determine if <i>M. avium</i> isolates recovered from the same geographical area as AIDS patients shared phenotypic and genetic characteristics with clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates (recovered by collaborating laboratories), the ability to grow at 43°C, cadmium-and streptomycin-resistance, and the presence of plasmids were used as epidemiological markers. We found that environmental isolates in this study shared similar characteristics with the clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates. Compared to developed countries, the prevalence of <i>M. avium</i> infections among AIDS patients in developing countries (i.e., Africa) is very low. To determine if <i>M. avium</i> was absent in the African environment, we attempted to recover the organisms from water and soil in Kampala, Uganda. <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from 43 % of environmental samples, and these isolates shared similar phenotypic and genetic characteristics with <i>M. avium</i> isolates from the United States. Cigararette smoking was identified as a possible risk factor for HIV infected individuals. M avium isolates were recovered from several brands of cigarettes, suggesting that cigarettes are a possible source of infection.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentx, 101 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-03302010-020032en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03302010-020032/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/41799en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1993.E286.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 30303466en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1993.E286en
dc.subject.lcshHIV infectionsen
dc.subject.lcshMycobacterium aviumen
dc.titleEpidemiology of <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> complex infecting AIDS patientsen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineMicrobiologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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