Numerical Classification of Slowly Growing Mycobacteria

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Abstract
A total of 138 strains of slowly growing mycobacteria, which were received as members of 18 named species, were classified by scoring matching coefficients. Eighty-eight characters were tested for each strain; of these, 48 were useful for differentiating between strains. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis were clearly separated from the other species. M. kansasii, M. marinum, M. gastri, and M. shimoidei were regarded as species clearly distinct from each other and from other species in the genus. The other species studied formed a large cluster within which M. szulgai and M. simiae were distinct. The remaining species could be divided into two large subclusters, one consisting of M. asiaticum, M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. scrofulaceum, M. gordonae, and M. xenopi, and the other consisting of M. nonchromogenicum, M. terrae, M. novum, and M. triviale. Within the former cluster, M. gordonae was regarded as a distinct species, and M. asiaticum and M. xenopi as fairly distinct species. In contrast to these, M. avium, M. intracellulare, and M. scrofulaceum were not clearly differentiated from each other and appeared to belong to a single species, for which the name M. avium has priority. Within the latter cluster, M. triviale appeared to be fairly distinct from the others. M. nonchromogenicum, M. terrae, and M. novum could not be differentiated from each other, and they appear to belong to a single species, for which the name M. nonchromogenicum has priority.