Molecular identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria using sodA and ITS 16S-23S rRNA

Background: Several studies have shown that the level of NTM species isolation is increasing worldwide and rapidly becoming a major problem in public health. Therefore, identifying NTM bacteria at the species level is an urgent necessity because the treatment is based on the specific species of NTM as the etiology of the infection. Methods: Thirty-four frozen clinical isolates of suspected NTM were extracted, amplified, and sequenced using superoxide dismutase (sodA) and Internal Transcribed Spacer 16S-23S rRNA (ITS) target genes. The GenBank database was utilized to analyze and identify the sequencing results at the NCBI. Results: Based on sequencing and classification into group/complex categories, amplification using the sodA and ITS gene fragments revealed that the Mycobacterium fortuitum complex was the most prevalent (34.78%), followed by the Mycobacterium abscessus complex (17.39%). Four discrepancies were observed, in addition to five isolates identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and one isolate that remained unidentified. Conclusion: This study showed that the distribution of NTM species causes lung infection in West Java and was expected to raise awareness of TB-like infection and develop new strategies to establish a better diagnosis and appropriate treatment.