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Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC)RANK: Species groupTAXONOMY: Terrabacteria group -> Actinobacteria -> Actinobacteria -> Corynebacteriales -> Mycobacteriaceae -> Mycobacterium -> Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) OVERVIEW: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), also called Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex, is a microbial complex of 2 Mycobacterium species, Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare. It causes Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection. Some sources also include Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) include ubiquitous atypical bacterium found in the environment which can infect patients with HIV and low CD4 cell count (below 100/microliter); mode of infection is usually inhalation or ingestion. MAC causes disseminated disease in up to 40% of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States, producing fever, sweats, weight loss, and anemia. Disseminated MAC characteristically affects patients with advanced HIV disease and peripheral CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts less than 100 cells/uL. Effective prevention and therapy of MAC has the potential to contribute substantially to improved quality of life and duration of survival for HIV-infected persons. This genus contains microbial species that can reside in the human gastrointestinal tract. [PMC 4262072]
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