Hello all! I have recently expanded from yeast and fungi to mycobacterium! Just an overview is that these organisms typically affect immunocompromised individuals and are the leading cause of tuberculosis and Hansen disease/Leprosy. All mycobacteria are slender, slightly curved or straight, rod-shaped, nonmotile and non-spore forming. Not all acid-fast bacilli are considered mycobacterium! This is so important as most mycobacterium habitat our environment and can cause diseases that resembles TB. Things that we may consider from a clinical point include recent travel, HIV status, signs & symptoms, exposures, positive initial screening tests, a patient's history and where they're from. As an MLS, the three questions we must ask ourselves are:
What body sites are infected?
What specimens are collected?
What other tests are ordered?
Mycobacterium can be sneaky as they grow much slower that other microorganisms and aren't always suspected right off the bat. Keep in mind that these organisms are considered a biosafety level 3, indicating that mycobacteria can be dangerous to you, your parents, teachers, children, personal trainer, cattle, fish, and even the little armadillo you saw on the highway. Normal tasks such as relaxing in a hot tub, getting a pedicure, or drinking something with [contaminated] ice cubes can ruin your life! Proceed with caution my friends. Anyways, more is to come these next couple weeks, but a mycobacterium will never reveal its presence right away.
XoXo,
Special Topics Girl
Mycobacteria stained with carbol fuchsin-based Kinyoun stain on the left side and fluorescent auramine-rhodamine stain on the right.
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