Mycobacterium avium complex, or MAC, is a type of bacterial infection that can cause life-threatening symptoms in people who have compromised immune systems. People who have healthy immune systems may also be infected with MAC. However, the symptoms they experience – usually involving the lungs – are not usually life threatening. In people with advanced HIV disease, MAC usually doesn't involve the lungs. Instead, it causes disease in other organs, including the liver, the spleen, and the bone marrow.
MAC organisms can be found virtually anywhere in the environment. They live in water, soil, foods, and a variety of animals. As a result, it is difficult to avoid coming into contact with MAC. However, it is possible to prevent MAC from causing disease and symptoms in HIV-positive people using drugs (prophylaxis), a type of prevention that is almost always recommended for HIV-positive people with compromised immune systems (less than 50 T-cells).
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