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Nontuberculous mycobacterial disease is a series of diseases caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. Among them, non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease (PNTM) caused by pulmonary infection is the most common, accounting for 70%-80%.

NTM refers to a large group of mycobacteria other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacterium leprae. Most of the bacteria are parasites, and only a small part of them are pathogenic to humans (the most common ones are Mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex and Mycobacterium abscessus complex), which are conditional pathogenic bacteria.

NTM widely exists in nature, such as air, soil, animal body surface and body fluids. Don't think that NTM disease is far away from you, in fact, NTM is quietly lurking beside you!

After exposure to NTM, there are many outcomes such as respiratory colonization, NTM infection and NTM disease. When local or systemic resistance decreases, it can become an opportunistic pathogen, invading human lungs, lymph nodes, bones, joints, skin and soft tissues, etc., and may cause systemic disseminated diseases, causing great harm to human health.

1. The incidence rate is on the rise

In recent years, the global incidence of non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease is gradually increasing. In developed countries such as Japan, the United States, and Australia, the incidence of NTM pulmonary disease (PNTM) caused by lung infection is even higher than that of tuberculosis.

2. It is easy to be misdiagnosed and missed diagnosis

The clinical manifestations and chest imaging of NTM lung disease are very similar to, but different from, pulmonary tuberculosis. In the case of insufficient diagnostic conditions, it is very easy to misdiagnose or miss diagnosis.

Uni-medica has been deeply involved in the field of molecular diagnosis for many years, and the self-developed Multiplex Real time PCR Kit for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria kit will soon be approved for marketing.