Evaluation of sensitivity to chemical disinfectants of mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from HIV-infected individuals and patients with monotuberculosis infection compared to the reference strain

Objective. To study the sensitivity to chemical disinfectants against Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated from HIV-infected individuals and patients with monotuberculosis in comparison to the reference strain of Mycobacterium terrae.

Materials and methods. The sensitivity of 12 M. tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with HIV-associated tuberculosis (n = 6) and monotuberculosis (n = 6) to chlorine-containing and quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) disinfectants was studied. The M. terrae strain was used as a reference. Seedings of microbial suspensions treated with disinfectants on the culture medium Levenshtein-Jensen were carried out and were monitored for 3 months.

Results. One, two, three months following the treatment of microorganisms with QAC-containing disinfectant in the absence of growth of the control strain, there was noted growth of M. tuberculosis, particularly intense in the strains isolated from HIV-infected persons.

Conclusions. Thus, the resistance of tuberculosis pathogens to disinfectants can be acquired.

M. tuberculosis strains isolated from patients with HIV-associated tuberculosis are detected to be more resistant to disinfectants than the strains isolated from patients with monotubercular infection.