Distribution of Atypical Mycobacteria in Environments and Wild Birds

Atypical mycobacteria were recovered from the 10 of 36 seawater (19 strains), 20 of 36 sea sands (22 strains), 4 of 12 brackish water (13 strains), 26 of 60 river water (53 strains) and 6 of 12 waste water (10 strains), The organisms were also isolated from feces from 3 of 240 station pigeons (4 strains), 5 of 240 shrine pigeons (5 strains), 8 of 240 abattoir pigeons (10 strains) and 18 of 240 abattoir crows (33 strains). A total of 18 Mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex (MAIC) strains were detected from the 2 waste water, 1 seawater, 2 abattoir pigeon or 8 crow samples. The isolates were of serovar 8 (4 strains), serovar 4 (3), serovar 6 (2), serovar 12 (1), and untyped (8), and the insertion sequence (IS 901) was found in only one strain of MAIC (serovar 8) from crow.M.kansasii was isolated from 1 waste water 1 abattoir pigeon and 4 crow samples.