- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
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- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
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- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
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- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
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- Rare Diseases
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Mycobacterial Infections
Summary
Mycobacteria are a type of germ. There are many different kinds. The most common one causes tuberculosis. Another one causes leprosy. Still others cause infections that are called atypical mycobacterial infections. They aren’t “typical” because they don’t cause tuberculosis. But they can still harm people, especially people with other problems that affect their immunity, such as AIDS.
Sometimes you can have these infections with no symptoms at all. At other times, they can cause lung symptoms similar to tuberculosis:
- Cough
- Weight loss
- Coughing up blood or mucus
- Weakness or fatigue
- Fever and chills
- Night sweats
- Lack of appetite and weight loss
Medicines can treat these infections, but often more than one is needed to cure the infection.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Diagnosis and Tests
- Acid-Fast Bacillus (AFB) Tests National Library of Medicine
Find an Expert
- American Lung Association American Lung Association
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Specifics
- Buruli Ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans Infection) World Health Organization
- Leprosy American Academy of Family Physicians
- Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- Mycobacterium abscessus in Healthcare Settings Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) Program Health Resources and Services Administration
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Leprosy National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Mycobacterium Infections National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous National Institutes of Health
Start Here
- Learn about Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) Lung Disease American Lung Association
- Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM): Overview National Jewish Health
Patient Handouts
- Leprosy Medical Encyclopedia
- Mycobacterial culture Medical Encyclopedia
Genetics
- Leprosy: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Journal Articles
Encyclopedia
- Sputum stain for mycobacteria Medical Encyclopedia
Symptoms
- Symptoms and Diagnosis of Nontuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) Lung Disease American Lung Association
Reference Desk
- TB Terms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention