{
  "abstract": "Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are clinically relevant opportunistic pathogens. However, epidemiological data on NTM in low- and middle-income countries like Ecuador remain scarce. This retrospective study characterized the species distribution of NTM identified by molecular methods in the 225 isolates processed at the “Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública e Investigación” in Ecuador from 2019 to 2024. Most isolates were recovered from pulmonary samples (205/225; 91.11%). Their geographic distribution was heterogeneous, with the highest numbers recorded in El Oro, Pichincha, and Los Ríos. However, because all isolates were processed at a single national reference laboratory, this distribution may reflect referral patterns and access to laboratory services. It should not be interpreted as representative of Ecuador’s national NTM epidemiology. Overall, 11 different NTM species were identified, with M. fortuitum, M. intracellulare, M. kansasii, and M. abscessus predominating in pulmonary isolates, while M. fortuitum and M. abscessus predominated in extrapulmonary isolates. The relatively small number of NTM isolates identified over the six-year study period, together with the scarcity of national data, suggests that NTM infections may be underdiagnosed in Ecuador. Strengthening surveillance and diagnostic capacity for NTM in Ecuador is strongly recommended.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública e Investigación , ,",
    "One Health Research Group, Universidad de Las Américas , ,",
    "Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil , ,",
    "Universidad Ecotec , ,"
  ],
  "article_type": "brief report",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Greta Franco-Sotomayor"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Elsy Carvajal"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Eva Nicola"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Camilo Cardenas Franco"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Andrea Belen Salcedo Maldonado"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Solon Alberto Orlando"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Miguel Angel Garcia-Bereguiain"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3scary3s20djb.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fcimb.2026.1965771",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13719316/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "3scary3s20djb",
  "issns": [
    "2235-2988"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719316",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Brief Research Report"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2713|Mycobacterium research and diagnosis"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222741513",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13719316/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13719316",
  "pmid": "42964016",
  "published": "2026-10-16",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3scary3s20djb.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:36Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13719316",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719316"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:23:17Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13719316",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2026.1965771"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2713|Mycobacterium research and diagnosis",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Species distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria identified at a national reference laboratory in Ecuador from 2019 to 2024",
  "title_text": "Species distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria identified at a national reference laboratory in Ecuador from 2019 to 2024",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-03T12:20:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3scary3s20djb",
  "venue": "Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology",
  "versions": []
}