MYCOBACTERIUM KANSASII

Mycobacterium Kansasii General Information

Mycobacterium Kansasii (also known as the non-tuberculous mycobacteria or mycobacteria or tuberculosis-MOTT, as the Americans say) is a bacterial life-threatening infection especially for those people who have a deficit in their immune system. But there were also people with a strong immune system who got contaminated. It affects only the lungs, mainly the upper lobe (this is way resembles a lot with tuberculosis), but it can spread to other major internal organs, such as spleen, liver or to the bone marrow if the patient has an advanced HIV disease. People develop very rarely extrapulmonary symptoms. A way to distinguish these mycobacteria from the others is studying the bacteriological culture. Theoretically, this bacterium can be found anywhere in the nature, because it develops in the foods, soil and water and is hosted by a big variety of animals. But the natural sources of getting infected remain not very clear. Only in patients with AIDS or organ transplants (with an extremely damaged cellular immunity) this infection may turn into a few more other affections. This bacterium does not spread from person to person, but specialists think that people get infected from water sources that are contaminated. People who have a damaged immune system, this bacterium can extend to other body parts and can lead to lung problems. The infection caused by Mycobacterium Kansasii is met in southern Africa, parts of the USA and Western Europe. It occurs more often after the age of 50 in people with an already existing lung disease, like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis and more rarely, bronchiectasis.

Mycobacterium Kansasii Symptoms

Almost always a simple chest radiography is not enough because it may be hard to interpret. The lung radiography often shows signs of pre-existing diseases. The upper lobe usually presents unilateral shadows, a marked fibrosis and more frequent cavitations than in tuberculosis. But these last two do not help to distinguish one infection from another. Chronic and acute symptoms cannot be distinguished from the ones of tuberculosis, despite of the radiography and other clinical tests. When somebody suffers of Mycobacterium Kansasii it presents almost all the time chronic symptoms, such as night sweats, weight loss, malaise, haemoptysis and cough with sputum. These signs occur after a few months, even after a year or two after the patient has been infected and can be very delusive. A study from the past ten years has discovered that between tuberculosis and Mycobacterium Kansasii are no features, except the cases in which the patient may have an alcohol intake or diabetes. Long stable respiratory problems and cachexia may also accompany the other symptoms. This bacterial infection presents the risk to not be detected if the doctor does not consider it and does not require some adequate investigations. The bacterium affecting the human body is also detected after the examination of a liquid that has invaded the lungs and the throat (bronchoalveolar washes), called sputum smear. Small samples of lung tissue are investigated to see if these samples may allow the bacteria to develop.

Mycobacterium Kansasii Treatment

Mycobacterium Kansasii is a disease that is very difficult to treat demanding many months or years of intense treatments. The treatment mainly consists of a combination of medicines, known as antibiotics and it follows to prevent bacterium resistance and to take control over the disease. After three to ten weeks of intense therapy the patient will start to feel better and to see improvements in his health status. This is why this disease requires hospitalization. A specific treatment for Mycobacterium Kansasii does not exist, but it is proved to be sensitive to a few anti-tuberculosis drugs, although this disease is much more difficult to treat than tuberculosis. Two ore more drugs must be taken simultaneous for a faster recovery. Some researchers propose an immediate therapy with ethambutol combined with clofazimine, Klaricid (clarithromycin) or Ciproxin (ciprofloxacin) or a therapy consisting of Mycobutin (rifabutin). After some failed experiments it is believed that HIV-positive patients suffering of Mycobacterium Kansasii must not follow a treatment for HIV unless they present negative smear microscopy, an easy immunosuppression and few positive cultures. Some patients may be asymptomatic even if they are heavily sputum smear positive for some of the bacterium. These cases require a longer period of observation. But Mycobacterium Kansasii tends to be virulent and, unfortunately this will lead to a spreading if it is not well and adequately treated. An extraordinary discovery is that the drugs that prevent MAC (Mycobacterium avium complex) can sometimes prevent Mycobacterium Kansasii. But this therapy, including T-cells below 75 must be started by all people who are HIV-positive, so that they are not only protected from MAC, but also from M. Kansasii. This bacterium existing in the environment resists, in a big proportion, to all primary anti-tuberculosis medications, except ethambutol. A major subject of disputes is the length of the treatment that usually takes more than two years and a number of various factors that must be taken in consideration. But the treatments are not always a success and the patient may still present Mycobacterium Kansasii after many months of intense therapies. It is recommended to treat simultaneous lung problems with bronchodilators. If the infection has affected soft tissues the problems become even more serious, because the medication does not always have effects, so that a surgical excision remains the main treatment. It is very hard to prevent getting infected with this bacterium, but some of the medications for other related diseases, taken daily, may reduce the risk of the infection.