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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Deciphering and Imaging Pathogenesis and Cording of Mycobacterium abscessus in Zebrafish Embryos
Published on: September 9, 2015
Outbreak of acupuncture-associated cutaneous Mycobacterium abscessus infections
Patrick Tang1, Scott Walsh, Christian Murray
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Background:
Cutaneous atypical mycobacterial infections have been increasingly described in association with cosmetic and alternative procedures.
Objective:
We report an outbreak of acupuncture-associated mycobacteriosis. Between April and December 2002, 32 patients developed cutaneous mycobacteriosis after visiting an acupuncture practice in Toronto, Canada.
Results:
Of 23 patients whose lesions were biopsied, 6 (26.1%) had culture-confirmed infection with Mycobacterium abscessus. These isolates were genetically indistinguishable by amplified fragment length polymorphism. The median incubation period was 1 month. Of 24 patients for whom clinical information was available, 23 (95.8%) had resolution of their infection. All patients developed residual scarring or hyperpigmentation.
Conclusion:
Nontuberculous mycobacteria should be recognized as an emerging, but preventable, cause of acupuncture-associated infections.
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