Mycobacterium phocaicum in therapy pool water

We isolated Mycobacterium phocaicum, an emerging non-tuberculous species rarely identified in the respiratory tract and blood of patients, from the therapy pool water. Identification, confirmed by 16S rDNA and rpoB sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, disclosed a genotype 4. M. phocaicum should be added to the growing list of water-borne mycobacteria.