European Society of Mycobacteriology - Instituto Nacional de Saúde ...

PP-46
DETECTION OF NON TUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIA IN
SURFACE WATERS: COMPARISON OF CULTURE METHODS
Radomski, Nicolas 1 , Lucas, Francoise 1 , Cambau, Emmanuelle 2 , Moulin, Laurent 3 , Haenn, Sophie 3 , Régis, Moilleron 4
1 - Leesu, Universite Paris-Est AgroParisTech
2 - CNRMYC, CHU Saint-Louis de Paris
3 - Crecep, Etude biologie
4 - Leesu, Universite Paris-Est AgroParisTech
Since there is no evidence for person-to-person transmission, environment is considered a likely source of non tuberculous
mycobacteria (NTM) infections. Particularly, environmental water, from river, lake, pond or hot spring seems being a
major source of NTM. NTM has been also isolated from wastewater, from sources of drinking water, from drinking water
distribution system, from tap water, and even from bottled mineral water. Among human infections caused by NTM from
water origin, pulmonary infections and cutaneous infections are often described. These NTM human infections linked
to water could stem from changes in water use, from human vulnerability or from increase of virulence level among
environmental strains. Also, it seems necessary to determine the origin of these NTM in the environment, in order to
evaluate the importance of non-clinical habitats and to detect the emergence of virulence. Lack of knowledge about life
cycle of harmful bacteria from surface water, particularly NTM, require more analytical tools which are not currently
standardized or adapted to environmental samples. The aim of this study is to propose an improved culture method
that could be used for counting and isolating NTM from surface water and wastewater. Based on literature, we selected
different bacteriological methods from medical applications that had previously been applied to water samples. Samples
from the river Seine (Paris, France) were used to select a culture method that will prevent the growth of interfering
microbiota, with minimal inhibition of mycobacteria. The effect of antibiotics (polymyxin B, amphotericin B, nalidixic acid,
triméthoprime, azlocillin, vancomycin) and chemical decontamination process (methods using acids, bases, detergent or
cetylpyridininium chloride) on have been compared. Results will be discussed and a method adapted to water with high
densities of interfering bacteria will be proposed.
118 ESM 2009