Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Saudi Arabia and Gulf Countries: A Review

Table 1

Species distribution of NTM in the Gulf region.

GCC countries
NTM species	Total number of clinical isolates	Saudi Arabia	Kuwait	Oman	Clinical relevance	Reference
M. avium complex	79	68	2	9	Pulmonary	[17–21]
M. fortuitum	90	83	7	—	Pulmonary and extrapulmonary	[18–21]
M. simiae	3	2	—	1	Pulmonary	[17, 19–21]
M. kansasii	14	12	1	1	Pulmonary	[17–21]
M. gordonae	17	16	1	—	Pulmonary and extrapulmonary	[18–21]
M. xenopi	5	5	—	—	Pulmonary	[19–21]
M. abscessus	55	53	2	—	Pulmonary and extrapulmonary	[18–21]
M. marinum	2	1	—	1	Pulmonary	[17, 19–21]
M. chelonae	9	8	1	—	Extrapulmonary	[18–21]
M. scrofulaceum	2	2	—	—	Extrapulmonary	[19–21]
M. lentiflavum	2	2	—	—	Extrapulmonary	[19–21]
M. smegmatis	5	5	—	—	Pulmonary	[19–21]
M. szulgai	3	3	—	—	Pulmonary	[19–21]
M. flavescens	3	2	—	1	Pulmonary	[17, 19–21]
M. terrae	4	4	—	—	Pulmonary	[19–21]
M. intracellulare	9	9	—	—	Pulmonary and extrapulmonary	[19–21]
M. gastri	1	1	—	—	Pulmonary	[19–21]
M. asiaticum	1	1	—	—	Pulmonary	[19–21]
M. celatum	2	2	—	—	Pulmonary	[19–21]
Unidentified	9	9				[19–21]
Total	315	290	14	13