MAC treatment must continue for life, or else the disease will return. At least two drugs are used: usually azithromycin or clarithromycin plus up to three other drugs. Health care providers use a combination of antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) to treat MAC. The MAC bacteria can mutate and develop resistance to some of the drugs used to fight it. This is because MAC infection is very common but can be difficult to diagnose. If your CD4 cell count is less than 50, your health care provider might treat you for MAC, even without a definite diagnosis.

Even if you are infected with MAC, it can be hard to find the MAC bacteria. This process, called culturing, can take several weeks. The sample will be tested to see what bacteria are growing in it. Therefore, your health care provider will probably check your blood, urine, or saliva to look for the bacteria that causes MAC. Many different opportunistic infections can cause these symptoms. When MAC spreads in the body, it can cause blood infections, hepatitis, pneumonia, and other serious problems. The symptoms of MAC can include high fevers, chills, diarrhea, weight loss, stomach aches, fatigue, and anemia (low numbers of red blood cells). MAC almost never causes disease in people with more than 100 CD4 cells. Up to 50% of people with AIDS may develop MAC, especially if their CD4 cell count is below 50. A healthy immune system will control MAC, but people with weakened immune systems can develop MAC disease. They are found in water, soil, dust and food. The bacteria that cause MAC are very common. MAC infection often occurs in the lungs, intestines, bone marrow, liver and spleen. MAC infection can be localized (limited to one part of your body) or disseminated (spread through your whole body, sometimes called DMAC). MAC is also known as MAI ( Mycobacterium Avium Intracellulare).

Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) is a serious illness caused by common bacteria.

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