Isolation of from a corneal biopsy in India.

Introduction: Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are ubiquitous and are usually considered as saprophytes, and have been recovered from the environment, particularly in dust, watery soil and water distribution systems. However, is a rare causative agent of ocular infection.

Case Presentation: We report a case of in a 44-year-old female with signs and symptoms of a corneal ulcer. We carried out PCR-based DNA sequencing targeting the gene for the identification of . To confirm the identification, we also performed PCR-based RFLP targeting the gene and PCR-based DNA sequencing targeting the internal transcribed spacer region, which showed 97 % nucleotide identity with .

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in India to report the detection of from a corneal biopsy.