Species distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria identified at a national reference laboratory in Ecuador from 2019 to 2024
4 affiliations
- 1Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública e Investigación , ,
- 2One Health Research Group, Universidad de Las Américas , ,
- 3Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil , ,
- 4Universidad Ecotec , ,
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.
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BibTeX
@article{francosotomayor2026species,
title = {{Species distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria identified at a national reference laboratory in Ecuador from 2019 to 2024}},
author = {Greta Franco-Sotomayor and Elsy Carvajal and Eva Nicola and Camilo Cardenas Franco and Andrea Belen Salcedo Maldonado and Solon Alberto Orlando and Miguel Angel Garcia-Bereguiain},
journal = {Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fcimb.2026.1965771},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719316},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Species distribution of nontuberculous mycobacteria identified at a national reference laboratory in Ecuador from 2019 to 2024
AU - Greta Franco-Sotomayor
AU - Elsy Carvajal
AU - Eva Nicola
AU - Camilo Cardenas Franco
AU - Andrea Belen Salcedo Maldonado
AU - Solon Alberto Orlando
AU - Miguel Angel Garcia-Bereguiain
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fcimb.2026.1965771
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13719316
AB - 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.
SN - 2235-2988
ER -