Inaccuracy of Single-Target Sequencing for Discriminating Species of the Mycobacterium abscessus Group

We determined nucleotide sequences of rpoB, hsp65, and sodA in 59 clinical isolates (from 58 patients) of the Mycobacterium abscessus group. Identification to the species level, based on three target genes, was concordant for 44 isolates (25 M. abscessus, 13 Mycobacterium massiliense, and 6 Mycobacterium bolletii isolates) and discordant for 15 isolates which had interspecific composite patterns. Sequence analysis of five housekeeping genes also showed composite patterns in 8 of these 15 isolates.