Analysis of a panel of rapidly growing mycobacteria for resistance to aldehyde-based disinfectants.

After several accounts across the globe of mycobacteria outbreaks associated with medical procedures and aldehyde disinfectants resistance, we undertook an analysis of mycobacteria isolated from patients seen in a hospital in the United States between 1994 and 2008 to determine prevalence of resistance to aldehyde-based disinfectants. Out of the 117 clinical isolates screened, 6 isolates belonging to the emerging Mycobacterium abscessus group were found to display significant levels of resistance to glutaraldehyde and ortho-phthalaldehyde. Copyright (C) 2014 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.