Introduction. Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) is a group of mycobacteria distinct from the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. They can cause opportunistic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Gap Statement. Over the last few years, there has been a growing concern regarding the distribution and antimicrobial resistance of NTM in Malaysia. however, a comprehensive study to fully grasp the NTM situation has yet to be conducted. Aim. This study aimed to investigate the species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of NTM isolated from clinical samples in Malaysia from 2018 to 2022. Methodology. A retrospective analysis was conducted on NTM isolates obtained from various clinical specimens over a span of five years. The isolates were identified using phenotypic and molecular techniques, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles for clinically significant isolates were determined using minimum inhibitory concentration. Results. The study revealed a diverse distribution of NTM species in Malaysia, with Mycobacteroides abscessus complex and Mycobacterium avium complex emerging as the most predominant. Furthermore, the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns showed varying degrees of resistance to commonly used antibiotics, highlighting the significance of treatment tailored to susceptibility testing results. Conclusion. This study provides valuable perspective into the epidemiology of NTM in Malaysia. The information gained from this study should prove useful for empirically treating serious NTM infections prior to species identification and the availability of antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.

中文翻译：

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2018-2022 年马来西亚非结核分枝杆菌五年物种分布和抗菌药物敏感性

介绍。非结核分枝杆菌 (NTM) 是一组不同于结核分枝杆菌复合体的分枝杆菌。它们可能引起机会性感染，尤其是在免疫功能低下的个体中。差距声明。过去几年，人们越来越关注马来西亚 NTM 的分布和抗菌药物耐药性。然而，尚未进行全面研究以充分掌握非关税措施的情况。目的。本研究旨在调查 2018 年至 2022 年马来西亚临床样本中分离出的 NTM 的物种分布和抗菌药物敏感性模式。对五年内从各种临床标本中获得的 NTM 分离株进行了回顾性分析。使用表型和分子技术鉴定分离株，并使用最小抑菌浓度确定具有临床意义的分离株的抗菌敏感性谱。结果。该研究揭示了马来西亚 NTM 物种的多样化分布，其中脓肿分枝杆菌复合体和鸟分枝杆菌复合体是最主要的。此外，抗菌药物敏感性模式对常用抗生素表现出不同程度的耐药性，凸显了根据敏感性测试结果进行治疗的重要性。结论。这项研究为马来西亚 NTM 的流行病学提供了宝贵的视角。从这项研究中获得的信息对于在物种鉴定和抗菌药物敏感性测试结果的可用性之前对严重 NTM 感染进行经验性治疗是有用的。