Clin Microbiol Infect. 2018 Nov;24(11):1164-1170. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.04.027. Epub 2018 May 25.
Mycobacterium chimaera infection following cardiac surgery in the United Kingdom: clinical features and outcome of the first 30 cases.
Scriven JE, Scobie A, Verlander NQ, Houston A, Collyns T, Cajic V, Kon OM, Mitchell T, Rahama O, Robinson A, Withama S, Wilson P, Maxwell D, Agranoff D, Davies E, Llewelyn M, Soo SS, Sahota A, Cooper MA, Hunter M, Tomlins J, Tiberi S, Kendall S, Dedicoat M, Alexander E, Fenech T, Zambon M, Lamagni T, Smith EG, Chand M.
Mycobacterium chimaera infection following cardiac surgery, due to contaminated cardiopulmonary bypass heater-cooler units, has been reported worldwide. However, the spectrum of clinical disease remains poorly understood. To address this, we report the clinical and laboratory features, treatment and outcome of the first 30 UK cases.
PubMed

Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 May;23(5):796-805. doi: 10.3201/eid2305.161899.
Invasive Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections among Cardiothoracic Surgical Patients Exposed to Heater-Cooler Devices.
Lyman MM, Grigg C, Kinsey CB, Keckler MS, Moulton-Meissner H, Cooper E, Soe MM, Noble-Wang J, Longenberger A, Walker SR, Miller JR, Perz JF, Perkins KM.
Invasive nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections may result from a previously unrecognized source of transmission, heater-cooler devices (HCDs) used during cardiac surgery. In July 2015, the Pennsylvania Department of Health notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about a cluster of NTM infections among cardiothoracic surgical patients at 1 hospital.
PubMed

Clin Infect Dis. 2017 Apr 1;64(7):902-911. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciw877.
Two-Phase Hospital-Associated Outbreak of Mycobacterium abscessus: Investigation and Mitigation.
Baker AW, Lewis SS, Alexander BD, Chen LF, Wallace RJ Jr, Brown-Elliott BA, Isaacs PJ, Pickett LC, Patel CB, Smith PK, Reynolds JM, Engel J, Wolfe CR, Milano CA, Schroder JN, Davis RD, Hartwig MG, Stout JE, Strittholt N, Maziarz EK, Saullo JH, Hazen KC, Walczak RJ Jr, Vasireddy R, Vasireddy S, McKnight CM, Anderson DJ, Sexton DJ.
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) commonly colonize municipal water supplies and cause healthcare-associated outbreaks. We investigated a biphasic outbreak of Mycobacterium abscessus at a tertiary care hospital.
PubMed

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2017 Jan;38(1):103-108. doi: 10.1017/ice.2016.283. Epub 2016 Nov 14.
Mycobacterium chimaera Outbreak Associated With Heater-Cooler Devices: Piecing the Puzzle Together.
Sommerstein R, Schreiber PW, Diekema DJ, Edmond MB, Hasse B, Marschall J, Sax H.
An outbreak of invasive Mycobacterium chimaera infections associated with heater-cooler devices (HCDs) has now affected patients in several countries on different continents. Clinical infections are characterized by delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment response to antimicrobial agents, and poor prognosis.
PubMed

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016 Oct 14;65(40):1117-1118. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6540a6.
Notes from the Field: Mycobacterium chimaera Contamination of Heater-Cooler Devices Used in Cardiac Surgery - United States.
Perkins KM, Lawsin A, Hasan NA, Strong M, Halpin AL, Rodger RR, Moulton-Meissner H, Crist MB, Schwartz S, Marders J, Daley CL, Salfinger M, Perz JF.
In the spring of 2015, investigators in Switzerland reported a cluster of six patients with invasive infection with Mycobacterium chimaera, a species of nontuberculous mycobacterium ubiquitous in soil and water. In July 2015, a Pennsylvania hospital also identified a cluster of invasive nontuberculous mycobacterial infections among open-heart surgery patients.
PubMed

Eur Heart J. 2015 Oct 21;36(40):2745-53. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv342. Epub 2015 Jul 17.
Healthcare-associated prosthetic heart valve, aortic vascular graft, and disseminated Mycobacterium chimaera infections subsequent to open heart surgery.
Kohler P, Kuster SP, Bloemberg G, Schulthess B, Frank M, Tanner FC, Rössle M, Böni C, Falk V, Wilhelm MJ, Sommerstein R, Achermann Y, Ten Oever J, Debast SB, Wolfhagen MJ, Brandon Bravo Bruinsma GJ, Vos MC, Bogers A, Serr A, Beyersdorf F, Sax H, Böttger EC, Weber R, van Ingen J, Wagner D, Hasse B.
We identified 10 patients with disseminated Mycobacterium chimaera infections subsequent to open-heart surgery at three European Hospitals. Infections originated from the heater-cooler unit of the heart-lung machine. Here we describe clinical aspects and treatment course of this novel clinical entity.
PubMed

Clin Infect Dis. 2015 Jul 1;61(1):67-75. doi: 10.1093/cid/civ198. Epub 2015 Mar 11.
Prolonged Outbreak of Mycobacterium chimaera Infection After Open-Chest Heart Surgery.
Sax H, Bloemberg G, Hasse B, Sommerstein R, Kohler P, Achermann Y, Rössle M, Falk V, Kuster SP, Böttger EC, Weber R.
Invasive Mycobacterium chimaera infections were diagnosed in 2012 in 2 heart surgery patients on extracorporeal circulation. We launched an outbreak investigation to identify the source and extent of the potential outbreak and to implement preventive measures.
PubMed