General Overview on Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, Biofilms, and Human Infection

Figure 1

NTM persist in a steady state between planktonic (a) and biofilm (b) within healthcare units and on medical devices. Biofilm assembly is triggered by environmental stress. Bacteria organized in biofilm exhibit a different structure being notorious, increasing the amount of extracellular matrix (red arrows). Another feature of these bacteria is the increased resistance to chemical sterilization, which leads to persistence within healthcare units, host colonization, and onset of disease. (Red circles: dead bacteria; green circles: live bacteria; scale bar 1 μm.)