International Journal of Laboratory Hematology The Official journal of the International Society for Laboratory Hematology
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
INTERNAT IONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATO RY HEMATO LOGY
Letter to the Editor
A demonstration of the similiarities and differences in bone marrow morphology with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections Sir, Leprosy (also referred to as Hansen’s Disease) and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are both infectious diseases caused by acid-fast bacilli, belonging to the Mycobacterium family [Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare, respectively]. The prevalence of leprosy worldwide is 1 per 10 000 persons, with a much lower prevalence (0.037 per 10 000 persons) in South Africa (SA) [1], whilst the prevalence of TB in South Africa (SA) is 857 per 100 000, with new TB cases in SA being the highest in the world (1000/100 000) [2]. MAC has a prevalence of 10% in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected Black South Africans with CD4 cell counts of
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
INTERNAT IONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATO RY HEMATO LOGY
Letter to the Editor
A demonstration of the similiarities and differences in bone marrow morphology with nontuberculous mycobacterial infections Sir, Leprosy (also referred to as Hansen’s Disease) and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) are both infectious diseases caused by acid-fast bacilli, belonging to the Mycobacterium family [Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare, respectively]. The prevalence of leprosy worldwide is 1 per 10 000 persons, with a much lower prevalence (0.037 per 10 000 persons) in South Africa (SA) [1], whilst the prevalence of TB in South Africa (SA) is 857 per 100 000, with new TB cases in SA being the highest in the world (1000/100 000) [2]. MAC has a prevalence of 10% in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected Black South Africans with CD4 cell counts of
