biostudies-literatureUnknown25(1)Diricks MForschungszentrum Borstel - Leibniz LungenzentrumNon-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental organisms that can cause severe infections in vulnerable individuals. However, the environmental reservoirs and transmission routes of clinically relevant NTM remain insufficiently understood. Given the rising incidence of NTM infections, understanding where these bacteria thrive can inform public health measures and reduce infection risk. In this study, we analysed the prevalence and genetic diversity of mycobacteria in indoor water samples from private residences and a hospital in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and characterised them using whole genome sequencing and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. Core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) was employed to compare environmental isolates with nearly 3,000 clinical BMC microbiology792https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12701587biostudies-literatureGlobal lineages of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in residential water samples from Germany.PMC12701587Wichelhaus TANTMscope-Eco study groupWurstle SVehreschild MJGTFaber SHeidmann DOlesiuk MRiedel-Christ SFrank DZielbauer ASGiesbrecht KBurger GMielke SKuhns MWeirauch TIliewski LMohr AStephan CWetzstein NTorres SGBurbach TNiemann SHofbauer LHafner JKessel JReyer FSzagunn CCirillo DKraiczy PMeyer-Heinemann LIdris RAppel TMaffiold SAlisch TFriesen IDiricks MGhodousi AHolt EfalseGlobal lineages of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in residential water samples from Germany.Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous environmental organisms that can cause severe infections in vulnerable individuals. However, the environmental reservoirs and transmission routes of clinically relevant NTM remain insufficiently understood. Given the rising incidence of NTM infections, understanding where these bacteria thrive can inform public health measures and reduce infection risk. In this study, we analysed the prevalence and genetic diversity of mycobacteria in indoor water samples from private residences and a hospital in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and characterised them using whole genome sequencing and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. Core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) was employed to compare environmental isolates with nearly 3,000 clinical 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Dec2026-05-26T14:04:28.029Z2026-05-24T03:13:02.83ZS-EPMC127015874135323110.1186/s12866-025-04563-7