There are no established measures that would prevent this infection. NTM organisms are readily found in our environment and could even be found on our bodies, such as in the airways leading to the lungs. In majority of cases, this situation would not result in infection. Rather, NTM infection usually happens in predisposed patients (see below), such as those with poor immunity or underlying chronic lung diseases. In these cases, the organism is able to overcome the patient’s body defences resulting in clinical infection.
