[Epidemiologic and microbiologic aspects of mycobacteriosis in Slovakia. M. fortuitum]

The purpose of this paper is to confront the knowledge about the epidemiology of this disease abroad with information obtained in Slovakia. The methodology of this paper is based upon surveillance of tuberculosis as applied on mycobacterioses. Pulmonary infections caused by M. fortuitum presents only 10% of pulmonary mycobacterioses caused by facultative pathogenic mycobacteria. Since the year 1979 were in the territory of Slovakia newly discovered 5 cases of mycobacterioses caused by M. fortuitum. 4 of them are men (age 61-77 years old) and 1 women (57 years old). 3 patients are from Eastern Slovakia and 2 patients are from Central Slovakia. All of them had pulmonary location of disease. Another 8 cases (5 men and 3 women) are suspect for mycobacterioses for the meantime. In each isolation of the agents was made 5-8 times but without verification of clinical activity. Findings of M. fortuitum in biological material even when repeated can mean contamination only. During the period of last 10 years 768 isolations of M. fortuitum from 496 persons were registered. (Ref. 36.)