Prevalence and Clinical Manifestations of DisseminatedMycobacterium aviumComplex Infection in South Africans with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

In a sample of 100 hospitalized human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive black South African patients with CD4 cell counts of <100 cells/mm(3), the point prevalence of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection was 10%, in contrast with other African studies that report that the infection is uncommon. The point prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was 54%. The clinical and laboratory features of these patients were largely unhelpful in detecting M. avium complex; the BACTEC blood culture (Becton Dickinson) was the only reliable method.