[Histonet] Re: False positive AFB

[RSRICHMOND <@t> aol.com]

The acid-fast bacilli that come out of the water faucet are supposedly 
Mycobacterium gordoneae (gor-DOH-nee-ee, after microbiologist Mary Gordon) - a 
synonym is Myco. aquae (ACK-wee). They aren't pathogenic (well, maybe in situations 
of extremely compromised immune function).

They stain with both light-microscopic and fluorescent techniques. The trick 
to recognizing them is that usually they're slightly out of the plane of the 
section, and in tissue sections they turn up at random rather than in places in 
tissues where a pathologist will expect to see them.

Bob Richmond
Samurai (SAM-you-rye) Pathologist (paTHOLLajist)
Knoxville (NOCKSvil) TN
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