Isolation of Mycobacterium kumamotonense from a patient with pulmonary infection and latent tuberculosis

Mycobacterium kumamotonense is a novel, slow-growing non-chromogenic nontuberculous mycobacterium, which belongs to Mycobacterium terrae complex. We report, for the first time in Greece, the isolation of M. kumamotonense from an immunocompetent patient with pulmonary infection and latent tuberculosis. M. kumamotonense was identified by sequencing analysis of 16S rDNA and 65-kDa heat shock protein genes while by commercial molecular assays it was misidentified as Mycobacterium celatum. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the reference broth microdilution method. The strain was susceptible to amikacin, clarithromycin, rifampin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, rifabutin, ethambutol and linezolid.