{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T00:44:31Z","timestamp":1793321071175,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784678400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784678400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008982","name":"National Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["1743587"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1743587"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008982","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Padosi Foundation"},{"name":"University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler"},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008982","name":"National Science Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["1743587"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1743587"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008982","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Appl Environ Microbiol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title\/>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental microorganisms for which large, systematic studies of niche diversity are lacking. We performed a semi-longitudinal state-wide sampling campaign (2015\u20132019) for environmental NTM across Hawai\u2019i. A volunteer network collected 2,334 water biofilms, soil, and dust samples from built (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 1,946) and natural (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 388) sites. Of these, 541 contained culturable NTM (23%) and per island hotspots identified. Of 74 NTM species recovered, the most prevalent rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM) were\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Mycobacterium porcinum<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Mycobacterium chelonae,<\/jats:italic>\n                      and\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Mycobacterium abscessus. Mycobacterium intracellulare<\/jats:italic>\n                      subsp.\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">chimaera<\/jats:italic>\n                      was the most frequently isolated slow growing mycobacteria (SGM). Our longitudinal analyses indicate widespread colonization of diverse niches by species less associated with lung infections such as\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">M. chelonae<\/jats:italic>\n                      . In contrast, household water biofilms tended to be reliable niches for\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">M. abscessus<\/jats:italic>\n                      and\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">M. avium<\/jats:italic>\n                      complex species colonization across the 5-year study. Analysis of 590 deidentified lung samples from Hawai\u2019i and other Pacific Islands revealed\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">M. chimaera<\/jats:italic>\n                      as the most frequently isolated species (40%, 238\/590). Phylogenetic analysis of environmental and lung\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">M. abscessus<\/jats:italic>\n                      suggests most cluster within dominant circulating clone 1 (DCC1). Contrastingly\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">,<\/jats:italic>\n                      most Hawai\u2019i and other Pacific Island\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">M. chimaera<\/jats:italic>\n                      were distinct from previously studied European isolates, leading to the identification of two novel clusters of phylogenetically related strains we have termed Pacific Island Circulating Cluster 1 and 2 (PCC1, PCC2). PCC1 consists exclusively of Hawai\u2019i\/Pacific Island isolates, while PCC2 was enriched by lung samples and was mostly collected from Hawai\u2019i\/Pacific Islands. These data reveal the genetic diversity, ecological niches, and potential reservoirs of NTM in varied Hawai\u2019i ecosystems.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                    <jats:sec>\n                      <jats:title>IMPORTANCE<\/jats:title>\n                      <jats:p>Nearly one in four environmental Hawai\u2019i samples tested positive for any NTM species, with hotspots often overlapping population centers. Recovery of any NTM species occurred just as often from natural settings as homes and public buildings, highlighting exposures as a normal part of life. Soil was the most common reservoir for NTM colonization, but we distinguish NTM species pertinent to lung disease that were far more likely to be found in water biofilms, such as showerheads and kitchen sinks. No single species dominated the environment; yet, the type of NTM found in water systems closely mirrored those recovered from patients\u2019 lung samples. Genetic analyses revealed that Hawai\u2019i harbors distinct, locally circulating strains, including lineages not linked to known hospital outbreaks. Together, these findings improve our understanding of where precarious exposures can occur and inform public health strategies to reduce exposures by highlighting niches that are common hotspots for NTM colonization.<\/jats:p>\n                    <\/jats:sec>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1128\/aem.00269-26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T13:00:41Z","timestamp":1781096441000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Novel Hawai\u2019i and Pacific Island circulating clusters of\n                    <i>Mycobacterium intracellulare<\/i>\n                    subsp.\n                    <i>chimaera<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"92","author":[{"given":"Rachel N.","family":"Wilsey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler","place":["Tyler, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liang-Hao","family":"Ding","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler","place":["Tyler, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephanie N.","family":"Dawrs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/016z2bp30","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health","place":["Denver, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chelsea K.","family":"Raulerson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler","place":["Tyler, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Grant J.","family":"Norton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/016z2bp30","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health","place":["Denver, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ravleen","family":"Virdi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/016z2bp30","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health","place":["Denver, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nabeeh A.","family":"Hasan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/016z2bp30","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Center for Genes, Environment, and Health, National Jewish Health","place":["Denver, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"L. 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