prevalence and molecular typing of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in hospital water sources of tehran, iran

Background: non-tuberculous mycobacteria (ntm) pose a growing public health concern, especially in regions with high prevalence rates. iran, situated near high-burden countries like afghanistan and pakistan, is particularly vulnerable. this study aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology of ntm in water samples from farhikhtegan hospital, tehran.methods: a total of 70 water samples were collected from various hospital departments. after culture and phenotypic identification, 33 mycobacterial isolates were subjected to polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) analysis of the rpob gene.results: mycobacterium fortuitum type i was the most prevalent ntm species, accounting for 81% of the isolates. mycobacterium kansasii type i and mycobacterium gordonae type i followed, each comprising 6% of the isolates. less common species included m. gordonae type ii and mycobacterium intracellulare. the pcr-rflp method proved to be a sensitive and accurate tool for identifying ntm species.conclusion: this study provides valuable insights into the ntm profile in farhikhtegan hospital and underscores the importance of effective surveillance and control measures to mitigate the risk of ntm infections.