Identification of clinically significant Mycobacterium fortuitum complex isolates

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Abstract
Recent outbreaks of [human nosocomial infections caused by organisms identified as the M. fortuitum complex suggest that species and subspecies identification is epidemiologically important. In a study of 170 strains, M. fortuitum was differentiated from M. chelonei by nitrate reduction and Fe uptake. M. fortuitum was further divided into biovariant fortuitum, biovar peregrinum and an unnamed 3rd biovar by inositol and mannitol utilization. M. chelonei was further divided into ssp. chelonei, ssp. abscessus and an unnamed subspecies by tolerance to 5% sodium chloride, utilization of mannitol and sodium citrate, and uptake of Fe.