Risk for Mycobacterium celatum Infection from Ferret

摘要

To the Editor: Mycobacterium celatum belongs to the group called "mycobacteria other than tuberculosis"; it is characterized by slow growth and a slender, rod-shaped form (0.25–0.5 × 0.5–13.0 μm). The cells are acid fast and do not form cords or branches. The species name, celatum, which means hidden or concealed, refers to the problem of phenotypically distinguishing the species from other mycobacteria, especially M. xenopi. M. celatum was fi rst described in 1993 as a pathogen in persons with AIDS (1). Until now, few cases in humans have been reported; those cases were predominantly disseminated mycobacteriosis in immunocompromised patients (mainly those with AIDS), but they have also occurred in immunocompetent persons (1,2). For animals, 1 case of M. celatum infection in a ferret has been described (3). We describe another case in a ferret, with possible transmission to a human