J Water Health 01 (2003) 133-139

Nontuberculous mycobacteria in hospital water systems: application of HPLC for identification of environmental mycobacteria

L. Galassi, R. Donato, E. Tortoli, D. Burrini, D. Santianni and R. Dei

Dipartimento Sanità Pubblica, Università di Firenze, Viale GB Morgagni 48, I50134 Florence, Italy Telephone: +39 55 3262428 Fax: +39 55 3262436

Dipartimento Sanità Pubblica, Università di Firenze, Viale GB Morgagni 48, I50134 Florence, Italy Telephone: +39 55 3262428 Fax: +39 55 3262436 E-mail: rdonato@dsp.igiene.unifi.it

Centro Regionale Riferimento Micobatteri, Laboratorio Batteriologia e Virologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Careggi, Viale GB Morgagni 85, I50134 Florence, Italy

Acquedotto Anconella, Via Villamagna 39, I50126 Florence, Italy

Acquedotto Anconella, Via Villamagna 39, I50126 Florence, Italy

Dipartimento Sanità Pubblica, Università di Firenze, Viale GB Morgagni 48, I50134 Florence, Italy Telephone: +39 55 3262428 Fax: +39 55 3262436

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), ubiquitous in water environments, are increasingly recognized as nosocomial pathogens. Our study reports a one-year survey of the water system of two hospitals, A and B, in a small town near Florence, Italy. NTM were found throughout the study period in both settings, but B showed a significantly higher mycobacterial load. Mycobacterium gordonae and Mycobacterium fortuitum were the most frequent species isolated. Identification was carried out by conventional techniques and by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of cell wall mycolic acids. HPLC profiling could be used as a first-choice method for identification of environmental mycobacteria.

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