Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection
Overview
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI) is an atypical mycobacterial infection
which can occur in the later stages of AIDS
. It can also affect people who do not have AIDS and usually first presents as a persistent cough. Additionally, cases in elderly men have increased recently. It is typically treated with a series of 3 antibiotics for a period of at least 6 months.
It is a saprotrophic organism
that is present in soil and water, entry is usually via the GI tract but also can be via the lung
s.
It causes fever
s, diarrhea
, malabsorption
and anorexia
and it can disseminate to the bone marrow
.
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
which can occur in the later stages of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. It can also affect people who do not have AIDS and usually first presents as a persistent cough. Additionally, cases in elderly men have increased recently. It is typically treated with a series of 3 antibiotics for a period of at least 6 months.
It is a saprotrophic organism
Organism
In biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
that is present in soil and water, entry is usually via the GI tract but also can be via the lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
s.
It causes fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
s, diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
, malabsorption
Malabsorption
Malabsorption is a state arising from abnormality in absorption of food nutrients across the gastrointestinal tract.Impairment can be of single or multiple nutrients depending on the abnormality...
and anorexia
Anorexia (symptom)
Anorexia is the decreased sensation of appetite...
and it can disseminate to the bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
.
