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What is Mycobacterium abscessus?
Mycobacterium abscessus is a bacterium
distantly related to the ones that cause tuberculosis and leprosy.
It is part of a group known as rapidly growing mycobacteria and
is found in water, soil and dust. It has been known to contaminate
medications and products, including medical devices.
What type of infection does it cause?
M. abscessus can cause a variety of
serious infections that require medical attention. Infections
due to this bacterium are usually of the skin and the soft tissues
under the skin. It has been rarely known to cause lung infection
in persons with various chronic lung diseases.
How can this infection be transmitted?
Infection with M. abscessus is usually
caused by injections of substances contaminated with the bacterium
or through invasive medical procedures employing contaminated
equipment or material. Infection can also occur after accidental
injury where the wound is contaminated by soil. It cannot be transmitted
from person to person.
How do I know if I have an infection
with M. abscessus?
A medical doctor should evaluate the infection
to determine if it may be due to M. abscessus. Skin infected with
M. abscessus, is usually red, warm, tender to the touch,
swollen, and/or painful. Infected areas can also develop boils
or pus-filled vesicles. Other signs of M. abscessus infection
are fever, chills, muscle aches, and a general feeling of illness.
However, for a definite diagnosis, the organism has to be cultured
from the infection site.
How is this infection diagnosed?
Diagnosis is made by growing this bacterium
in the laboratory from a sample of the pus or biopsy of the infected
area. When the infection is severe the bacterium can be found
in the blood and isolated from a blood sample. To make the diagnosis,
your doctor will have to take a sample from the infected area
and/or blood and send it to a laboratory for identification. It
is important that persons who have any evidence of infection at
a site where they received procedures, such as surgery or injections,
let their doctors know, so the appropriate tests can be done.
How can M. abscessus infection
be treated?
Treatment of infections due to M. abscessus
consists of draining collections of pus and administering the
appropriate combination of antibiotics for a prolonged period
of time. Infection with this bacterium usually does not improve
with the usual antibiotics used to treat skin infections. Testing
the bacteria against different antibiotics is helpful in guiding
doctors to the most appropriate treatment for each patient.
If I have this infection, can I transmit
it to my family and friends?
No, there is very little risk of transmitting
this infection to other people. You should wash your hands carefully
with soap and water after touching or caring for the infected
site.
How can I prevent an infection
with this bacterium?
Avoid receiving procedures or injections
by unlicensed persons and avoid receiving injections with products
not licensed for use in this country by the Food and Drug Administration.
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