Molecular typing of Mycobacterium chelonae isolates from a pseudo-outbreak involving an automated bronchoscope washer.

We describe a pseudo-outbreak of Mycobacterium chelonae infection in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 9 patients that was traced to contamination of an automated bronchoscope washer. Molecular typing using repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction was helpful in confirming epidemiologic and clinical findings.