Mycobacterium avium intracellulare
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| iMycobacterium avium subsp. intracellulare | ||||||||||||||
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 Mycobacterium avium subsp. intracellulare bacteria in lymph tissue.
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Mycobacterium avium intracellulare is an atypical mycobacterial infection which can occur in the later stages of AIDS.
It is a saprophytic organism that is present in soil and water, entry is usually via the GI tract but also can be via the lungs.
It causes fevers, diarrhoea, malabsorption and anorexia and it can disseminate to the bone marrow. Therapy for MAI is disappointing as it is typically resistant to standard mycobacterial therapies.
