How do you treat atypical mycobacterial infections?

Treatment of atypical mycobacterial infections depends upon the infecting organism and the severity of the infection. In most cases a course of antibiotics is necessary. These include rifampicin, ethambutol, isoniazid, minocycline, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, azithromycin and cotrimoxazole.

How do you get Atypical TB?

Soil, dust, water, and contaminated food, from which atypical mycobacteria can be cultured, are the presumed sources of infection. In children, the most common presentation of atypical mycobacterial infection is cervical lymphadenitis; less commonly, skin and soft tissue infection occur secondary to direct inoculation.

How do you test for atypical mycobacterial infection?

Biopsy of the skin, involved lymph nodes, and lung can be used to diagnose atypical mycobacteria. The tissue obtained can be used for cultures of the tissue and for histopathologic examination.

What is the clinical importance of atypical mycobacteria?

Atypical mycobacteria, or more correctly non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species, are a ubiquitous group of environmental organisms that have potential to cause pathological presentations, varying from skin and superficial infections to deeper infections with or without systemic dissemination.

What kind of disease is atypical tuberculosis ( TB )?

How is it treated? A: The term “Atypical TB” may be used to signify a group of closely related diseases caused by bacterial organisms belonging to non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) or Mycobacterium Other Than Tuberculosis (MOTT).

How is TB disease treated in the United States?

Treatment for TB Disease. It is very important that people who have TB disease are treated, finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as prescribed. If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again; if they do not take the drugs correctly, the TB bacteria that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs.

How long does it take to get rid of TB?

TB disease can be treated by taking several drugs for 6 to 9 months. There are 10 drugs currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating TB. Of the approved drugs, the first-line anti-TB agents that form the core of treatment regimens are: isoniazid (INH) rifampin (RIF)

What kind of drugs are used to treat tuberculosis?

Although some drugs used in the treatment of tuberculosis are also used in the treatment of MOTT infections (such as rifampicin and ethambutol), the choice of a third agent (e.g. clarithromycin), prophylactic agents (e,g. azithromycin or clarithromycin or ciprofloxacin) are different from those of TB.