Recent developments in mycobacteriology: a clinical and diagnostic perspective.
Abstract
Mycobacteria comprise a diverse group of bacteria that are widely distributed in nature, some of which cause significant disease in humans. The most prominent representative of this group is the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, which includes the etiological agents of tuberculosis (TB), which, with over 8 million new cases and nearly 2 million deaths annually, continues to cause one of the major health burdens for humans. This complex also includes the causative agents of TB in animals, of which Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine TB is the most prominent. Whereas the prevalence of TB has been closely monitored in most parts of the world, the epidemiology of nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections remains poorly defined; in spite of the fact that the importance of NTMs as a cause of opportunistic infections of humans has been increasingly recognized over the last two decades, particularly in areas where the incidence of TB is in decline. The purpose of this special issue is to provide a reader with some recent achievements in mycobacteriology, with particular emphasis on the developments which have direct relevance to the clinical practice and diagnostic performance. The articles within this issue differ considerably from each other with respect to their research scopes and methodologies, thus reflecting the multidirectional character of the research in the ever-expanding field of mycobacteriology. We face an exciting era in mycobacteriology, where greater understanding of the mycobacteria leads to technical improvements that change clinical practice and these techniques in turn help to curb the epidemic of mycobacterial diseases of humans and animals.
Origin : Publication funded by an institution