Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare are two bacterial organisms closely related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes TB. <\/strong><\/p>\n Illness from these bacteria is called MAI in Europe and MAC in the US, but they are the same.<\/strong><\/p>\n A\u00a0CD4 count under 100 cells\/mm3<\/sup>\u00a0increases the risk for MAI. The lower your CD4 count the higher the risk.<\/p>\n Infection comes from soil, dust or contaminated water, but is not infectious between individuals.<\/p>\n MAI can spread throughout the body. It can affect almost any organ, especially the blood, lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow. The cells infected by these bacteria include macrophages (white blood cells that engulf infectious material).<\/p>\n In the gut, MAI can cause diarrhoea and abdominal pain because of ulcers.<\/p>\n In the lymphatic system, MAI will cause swollen lymph nodes, liver and spleen.<\/p>\n Blood tests can show low levels of red blood cells (anaemia) and platelets (thrombocytopenia).<\/p>\n MAI is confirmed by growing a culture from blood or samples from the affected part of the body. This can take up to four weeks.<\/p>\n An ‘acid smear’ test is much quicker but cannot tell the difference between MAI and TB.<\/p>\n Treatment involves a combination of 2 or more antibiotics<\/strong> (to reduce the risk of resistance) \u2013 usually clarithromycin or azithromycin plus ethambutol<\/strong>.<\/p>\n People who develop resistance to clarithromycin will also have resistance to azithromycin and vice versa. Other drugs used in combinations include rifabutin rifampicin, gentamicin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin and sparfloxacin.<\/p>\nMain symptoms<\/h2>\n
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Diagnosis<\/h2>\n
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