Scottish Non Tuberculous Mycobacteria in Humans - a 15 Year Cohort

This project is on Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) in Scotland. We will be using the Scottish Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory database, in Edinburgh, which has 4100 positives samples of NTM over 15 years and linking with clinical and epidemiological data.

Unlike Mycobacterium tuberculosis which is a notifiable disease, there is a paucity of data about the epidemiology, morbidity and mortality caused by non tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) internationally.

NTM live in the environment but cause human illness in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised children and adults. They can affect previously healthy individuals but more commonly affect patients with co-morbidities.

NTMs can cause disease in the lungs identical to that caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Aim of this study are as follows:

-Evaluate the epidemiology of NTM in Scotland over a 15 year period from late 1990s.
-Assess the geographic distribution of NTM in Scotland as we have postcode data available.
-Assess the clinical significance of NTM isolates, treatment and outcomes.
-To create a Scottish NTM database.
-To develop expertise in research ethics, Good Clinical Practice, statistics, epidemiology and data management.
-To present at local, national and international meetings.
-To publish the research findings in a prestigious peer reviewed journal.