Question

In the case seen here, little thought was given to examining family members of patients for mycobacterium chelonae or mycobacterium abscessus infection. By contrast, infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis usually leads to an immediate public health investigation. Why are these organisms treated so differently despite being in the same genus

Answer 1

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a pathogen of mammalian respitory system that infects lungs. Unlike other strains of Mycobacteriaceae, the growth rate of mycobacterium tuberculosis is extremely slow (15 - 20 hrs). The slow rate of growth of this bacteria delays the onset of symptoms of tuberculosis in infected individuals and therefore, a large number of individuals can get infected even before being diagnosed of having tuberculosis. Since, the family members of an infected indual can get infected if they are exposed to coughing, sneezing or speaking of the infected individual Therefore, family members of patients of tubeculosis are also examined immediately to check if they have also become the carrier of mycobacterium tuberculosis. This way their infection can be detected at an early stage and can be prevented from spreading the disease any further.