{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/41799"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/41799","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Epidemiology of <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> complex infecting AIDS patients","abstract":"Organisms of the <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> complex cause disseminated infections in 25 to 50 % of patients with AIDS. To assess the likelihood of exposure to M avium, we attempted to recover M. avium complex from environmental samples in geographical areas (Boston, Massachusetts; Hanover, New Hampshire; Helsinki, Finland; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kinsasha, Zaire) located near <i>M. avium</i> infected AIDS patients. Although <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from environmental samples at all sites, it was found more frequently in water supply systems in the United States and Finland (8/25, 32 %) compared to water supply samples from Africa (0/14, 0%). To determine if <i>M. avium</i> isolates recovered from the same geographical area as AIDS patients shared phenotypic and genetic characteristics with clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates (recovered by collaborating laboratories), the ability to grow at 43°C, cadmium-and streptomycin-resistance, and the presence of plasmids were used as epidemiological markers. We found that environmental isolates in this study shared similar characteristics with the clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates. Compared to developed countries, the prevalence of <i>M. avium</i> infections among AIDS patients in developing countries (i.e., Africa) is very low. To determine if <i>M. avium</i> was absent in the African environment, we attempted to recover the organisms from water and soil in Kampala, Uganda. <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from 43 % of environmental samples, and these isolates shared similar phenotypic and genetic characteristics with <i>M. avium</i> isolates from the United States. Cigararette smoking was identified as a possible risk factor for HIV infected individuals. M avium isolates were recovered from several brands of cigarettes, suggesting that cigarettes are a possible source of infection.","abstract_html":"Organisms of the &lt;i&gt;Mycobacterium avium&lt;/i&gt; complex cause disseminated infections in 25 to 50 % of patients with AIDS. To assess the likelihood of exposure to M avium, we attempted to recover M. avium complex from environmental samples in geographical areas (Boston, Massachusetts; Hanover, New Hampshire; Helsinki, Finland; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kinsasha, Zaire) located near &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; infected AIDS patients. Although &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; was recovered from environmental samples at all sites, it was found more frequently in water supply systems in the United States and Finland (8/25, 32 %) compared to water supply samples from Africa (0/14, 0%). To determine if &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; isolates recovered from the same geographical area as AIDS patients shared phenotypic and genetic characteristics with clinical AIDS &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; isolates (recovered by collaborating laboratories), the ability to grow at 43°C, cadmium-and streptomycin-resistance, and the presence of plasmids were used as epidemiological markers. We found that environmental isolates in this study shared similar characteristics with the clinical AIDS &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; isolates. Compared to developed countries, the prevalence of &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; infections among AIDS patients in developing countries (i.e., Africa) is very low. To determine if &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; was absent in the African environment, we attempted to recover the organisms from water and soil in Kampala, Uganda. &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; was recovered from 43 % of environmental samples, and these isolates shared similar phenotypic and genetic characteristics with &lt;i&gt;M. avium&lt;/i&gt; isolates from the United States. Cigararette smoking was identified as a possible risk factor for HIV infected individuals. M avium isolates were recovered from several brands of cigarettes, suggesting that cigarettes are a possible source of infection.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Eaton, Twilla"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Microbiology","degree_department":"Microbiology","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Falkinham, Joseph O. III"],"committee_members":["Krieg, Noel R.","Lederman, Muriel L."],"year":1993,"date_issued":"1993-12-06","date_published":"1993-12-06","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:09Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-03302010-020032"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-03302010-020032","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/41799","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Falkinham, Joseph O. 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To assess the likelihood of exposure to M avium, we attempted to recover M. avium complex from environmental samples in geographical areas (Boston, Massachusetts; Hanover, New Hampshire; Helsinki, Finland; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kinsasha, Zaire) located near <i>M. avium</i> infected AIDS patients. Although <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from environmental samples at all sites, it was found more frequently in water supply systems in the United States and Finland (8/25, 32 %) compared to water supply samples from Africa (0/14, 0%). To determine if <i>M. avium</i> isolates recovered from the same geographical area as AIDS patients shared phenotypic and genetic characteristics with clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates (recovered by collaborating laboratories), the ability to grow at 43°C, cadmium-and streptomycin-resistance, and the presence of plasmids were used as epidemiological markers. We found that environmental isolates in this study shared similar characteristics with the clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates. Compared to developed countries, the prevalence of <i>M. avium</i> infections among AIDS patients in developing countries (i.e., Africa) is very low. To determine if <i>M. avium</i> was absent in the African environment, we attempted to recover the organisms from water and soil in Kampala, Uganda. <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from 43 % of environmental samples, and these isolates shared similar phenotypic and genetic characteristics with <i>M. avium</i> isolates from the United States. Cigararette smoking was identified as a possible risk factor for HIV infected individuals. M avium isolates were recovered from several brands of cigarettes, suggesting that cigarettes are a possible source of infection."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Epidemiology of <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> complex infecting AIDS patients"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Falkinham, Joseph O. III"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Krieg, Noel R.","Lederman, Muriel L."],"dc:contributor.department":["Microbiology"],"dc:creator":["Eaton, Twilla"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:32:25Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:32:25Z","2010-03-30"],"dc:date.issued":["1993-12-06"],"dc:description.abstract":["Organisms of the <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> complex cause disseminated infections in 25 to 50 % of patients with AIDS. To assess the likelihood of exposure to M avium, we attempted to recover M. avium complex from environmental samples in geographical areas (Boston, Massachusetts; Hanover, New Hampshire; Helsinki, Finland; Nairobi, Kenya; and Kinsasha, Zaire) located near <i>M. avium</i> infected AIDS patients. Although <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from environmental samples at all sites, it was found more frequently in water supply systems in the United States and Finland (8/25, 32 %) compared to water supply samples from Africa (0/14, 0%). To determine if <i>M. avium</i> isolates recovered from the same geographical area as AIDS patients shared phenotypic and genetic characteristics with clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates (recovered by collaborating laboratories), the ability to grow at 43°C, cadmium-and streptomycin-resistance, and the presence of plasmids were used as epidemiological markers. We found that environmental isolates in this study shared similar characteristics with the clinical AIDS <i>M. avium</i> isolates. Compared to developed countries, the prevalence of <i>M. avium</i> infections among AIDS patients in developing countries (i.e., Africa) is very low. To determine if <i>M. avium</i> was absent in the African environment, we attempted to recover the organisms from water and soil in Kampala, Uganda. <i>M. avium</i> was recovered from 43 % of environmental samples, and these isolates shared similar phenotypic and genetic characteristics with <i>M. avium</i> isolates from the United States. Cigararette smoking was identified as a possible risk factor for HIV infected individuals. M avium isolates were recovered from several brands of cigarettes, suggesting that cigarettes are a possible source of infection."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-03302010-020032"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/41799"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Epidemiology of <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> complex infecting AIDS patients"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Microbiology"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:09Z"}