1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis
Profile picture for marycronin

How is MAC not contagious to another person with lung disease?

Posted by marycronin @marycronin, 13 hours ago

I am concerned about getting MAC with my recent diagnosis with Bronchiectasis. How can this not be contagious being around someone who has MAC?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | 10 hours ago

To answer your question, MAC/NTM needs to be inhaled in substantial quantity to cause an infection - such as in the vapor from a shower. The amount of NTM released by an infected person is not considered contagious.
Here is a pamphlet about the infection:
https://ntminfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NTM-INSIGHT-Pamphlet_AA.pdf
I can tell you from personal experience that even though my partner and I both have Bronchiectasis, they never caught MAC from me in the 4-5 years I had it, before I was treated and during treatment. Believe me, I was concerned about it too, but both the pulmonologist and infectious disease doc assured us it would not spread, even though we shared a bed and bathroom. There are some other opportunistic infections, like Pseudomonas, that can possibly be spread by close contact.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for marycronin
marycronin | @marycronin | 2 hours ago
In reply to @sueinmn "To answer your question, MAC/NTM needs to be inhaled in substantial quantity to cause an infection..." + (show)
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

To answer your question, MAC/NTM needs to be inhaled in substantial quantity to cause an infection - such as in the vapor from a shower. The amount of NTM released by an infected person is not considered contagious.
Here is a pamphlet about the infection:
https://ntminfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NTM-INSIGHT-Pamphlet_AA.pdf
I can tell you from personal experience that even though my partner and I both have Bronchiectasis, they never caught MAC from me in the 4-5 years I had it, before I was treated and during treatment. Believe me, I was concerned about it too, but both the pulmonologist and infectious disease doc assured us it would not spread, even though we shared a bed and bathroom. There are some other opportunistic infections, like Pseudomonas, that can possibly be spread by close contact.

Jump to this post

@sueinmn did the MAC you had go away? How long did it take? Did you have any side effects to the medication?

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.