Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium distribution studied in a naturally infected hen flock and in the environment by culture, serotyping and IS901 RFLP methods.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (MAA) of serotype 2 and genotype IS901+ and IS1245+ was cultured from 21 naturally infected hens (Gallus domesticus) from one smallholder aviary. From a total of 330 samples taken from hens, 124 mycobacteria were detected.