Rank: Species
Lineage: Bacteria;Actinobacteria;Actinobacteria;Corynebacteriales;Mycobacteriaceae;Mycobacterium;Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis
Description: This taxon comprises different species, serovars and morphologic forms that vary in virulence. Mycobacterium avium is ubiquitous in the environment, and can be found in stagnant waters and soils. This organism causes tuberculosis in birds and disseminated infections in immunocompromized humans (the elderly, children, and especially patients with AIDS). Infection results in a characteristic pulmonary disease which requires expensive drug therapy for successful treatment. Most prevalent colony morphotypes are smooth opaque, smooth transparent and rough, with the last two being the faster growers in vivo. All three morphotypes are interchangeable and can persist in the lung. Colony morphology correlates with the presence of specific glycopeptidolipids (GPL) responsible for serotyping differences.
Reference Material:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/?term=Mycobacterium%20avium%20subsp.%20hominissuis
