Which of the following statements about pulmonary mycobacterial infection is/are correct?

B. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for the majority of cases of pulmonary mycobacterial disease.

E. Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare is generally resistant to most antimycobacterial drugs in vitro. 

DISCUSSION: Tuberculosis remains the leading infectious killer in the world today. M. tuberculosis is responsible for the vast majority of pulmonary mycobacterial disease. M. kansasii infection responds to multiple drug chemotherapy and relatively infrequently requires surgical treatment. Atypical mycobacteria can be primary pulmonary pathogens in humans. M. avium-intracellulare is usually resistant in vitro to most antituberculosis drugs.