Mycobacterium xenopi Infections in the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

To the Editor: Several cases of infection due to Mycobacterium xenopi have been reported (1, 2). This organism has been cultured frequently in samples from hot-water generators and storage tanks of hospitals, and has caused some cases of nosocomial disease (2). Three cases of disseminated disease have been described (3-5), two of which occurred in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (3, 5). We report two cases of disseminated M. xenopi nosocomial infections in patients with AIDS. From 1986 to 1987, 258 strains of M. xenopi were isolated from sputa, urine, bronchial washings, stools, lung tissue, and other clinical