• Tuberculosis has declined in incidence over the past several decades, but disease due to nontuberculous mycobacteria has not. Although mycobacteria other than tuberculosis are commonly isolated in medical laboratories, isolation of such organisms does not necessarily imply disease. Generalizations concerning diagnoses and therapy of nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases are not possible because the various organisms differ greatly in ability to produce disease and response to therapy.
(Arch Intern Med 1983;143:1439-1441)