Mycobacterial bacteraemia in patients infected and not infected with human immunodeficiency virus, Taiwan

The clinical characteristics and outcomes of 71 patients with mycobacterial bacteraemia, infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (n = 47) and not infected with HIV (n = 24) are described. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) (54.9%) constituted the most frequently isolated mycobacterium, followed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) (38.0%), Mycobacterium kansasii (4.2%), and Mycobacterium abscessus (2.8%). The Beijing family genotype was the most common type in MTB, and Mycobacterium intracellulare was the most common species in MAC. The overall mortality rate was 33.8%; it was lower in HIV-infected than in non-HIV-infected patients. HIV-infected patients were younger, had fewer underlying diseases and better nutritional status, and were more likely to have MAC bacteraemia than MTB bacteraemia.