| mycobacterium avium-intracellulare in clinical specimens: etiological factor or contaminant? | the mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (mai) group comprised 10.5% of all nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated in the mycobacterium reference laboratory, tel aviv, in an 11-year study period. from the buirej chest hospital in gaza, alone, 273 strains were isolated, representing 12.1% of the specimens from that hospital, while 149 strains (0.24% of all specimens) were isolated from all other institutions. pulmonary disease was attributed to this organism in 22 patients, 17 of whom were hospitaliz ... | 1990 | 2387708 |