The key difference between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria is that Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis while nontuberculous mycobacteria are causative agents of lung diseases, but they do not cause tuberculosis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria cause chronic lung infections. However, Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis which transmits from person to person from the air via aerosolized nuclei. Therefore, humans are the only reservoir of this bacterium. Nontuberculous mycobacteria cause pulmonary diseases that resemble tuberculosis, but they do not cause tuberculosis. Nontuberculous mycobacteria infect people with weak immune systems.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
3. What is Nontuberculous Mycobacteria
4. Similarities Between Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria
5. Side by Side Comparison – Mycobacterium Tuberculosis vs Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Mycobacterium Tuberculosis?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis. It is a human pathogenic bacterium which is airborne. Humans are the only known reservoirs of this bacterium. Tuberculosis is a pulmonary disease transmitted via aerosolized nuclei from person to person. It is a contagious airborne disease.
Figure 01: Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Structurally, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a large-non-motile rod-shaped bacterium. It is aerobic; hence it requires oxygen to grow, and it is a non-spore-forming bacterium. Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a waxy coating on its cell wall. Therefore, this bacterium is impervious to gram staining and is not classified as gram-negative or gram-positive. Moreover, this bacterium shows a slow generation time, usually 15 – 20 hours. The bacterial cells are 2 – 4 micrometres in length and 0.2 – 0.5 um in width.
What are Nontuberculous Mycobacteria?
Nontuberculous mycobacteria is a term given to a group of mycobacteria that do not cause tuberculosis and leprosy. These bacteria are found in soil and water. They can form biofilms as well. They are aerobic non-motile bacteria. They cause infections in airways and lung tissue, but not tuberculosis and leprosy. The common symptoms of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung diseases are chronic cough, fatigue, weight loss, fever and night sweats. Normally, nontuberculous mycobacteria infect people with weakened immune systems. However, unlike tuberculosis, nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases are not considered contagious.
What are the Similarities Between Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria?
- They are species of mycobacteria.
- Both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria are aerobic bacteria which are non-motile.
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria cause chronic lung infections.
- Their infections can occur throughout the body.
- Patients with mycobacterium tuberculosis disease and nontuberculous mycobacterial disease are advised to quit smoking, increase fluid intake and rest.
What is the Difference Between Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of the chronic lung disease tuberculosis while nontuberculous mycobacteria are a group of mycobacteria that do not cause tuberculosis and leprosy. Thus, this is the key difference between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria. Moreover, humans are the main reservoir of Mycobacterium tuberculosis while nontuberculous mycobacteria are found in soil and water. Also, another difference between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria is that tuberculosis is a contagious disease while nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases are not considered as contagious.
The below infographic summarizes the difference between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria.
Summary – Mycobacterium Tuberculosis vs Nontuberculous Mycobacteria
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Nontuberculous mycobacteria are all the other mycobacteria that do not cause tuberculosis and leprosy. Nontuberculous mycobacteria cause pulmonary diseases that are not considered contagious. Humans are the main reservoir of Mycobacterium tuberculosis while nontuberculous mycobacteria are found in soil and water. So, this summarizes the difference between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria.
Reference:
1. “Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.” Ucsfhealth.org, Available here.
2. “Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Sept. 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Depiction of a tuberculosis patient” By Myupchar– (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia