Epidemiologic and microbiologic aspects of mycobacteriosis in Slovakia. M. avium complex

BACKGROUND: Mycobacteria belonging to M. Avium Complex (MAC) are strains very similar in structure and biochemistry but very different from the point of serology. OBJECTIVES: They are divided into 28 serotypes. The objective of the research is to describe the epidemiological situation in mycobacterioses caused by Mycobacterium Avium Complex in Slovakia and to compare it with the situation in the developed countries. METHODS: The study is methodologically based on the surveillance of tuberculosis and applied to the problem of mycobacterioses. RESULTS: During the period of 19 years we have registered in Slovakia 43 new cases caused by Mycobacterium Avium Complex. The number of new cases per year ranged from 0 to 4 cases. The majority of cases were males in permanent residence in Slovakia. 74.4% of them were from central and eastern Slovakia. CONCLUSIONS: Over the past 19 years the stabilized trend of incidence of mycobacterioses caused by Mycobacterium Complex has not changed. (Ref. 22.)