Seven years ago,my husband had a t.b. skin test that was reactive.He submitted a sputum culture that was analyzed and the result being m.avium. He was tested for HIV around the same time with the result being negative. 9 months ago during a check for life insurance, he was positive for hep c. I was tested and am also positive.he's had his biopsy and is now on combo therapy, rebetron. I haven't had my biopsy yet but dont want to go on treatment.o.k., back to the m.avium.recently I've been trying to find out more about this infection. He doesn't have, and hasn't had any of the symptoms most commonly found. My question is- if m. avium has been detected and you have had no treatment for it, is it still in your body? I'm thinking it could have even caused the hepatitis. His genotype is 2, which from what i've read is not as common as most.we are both 40 years old with 3 children.he told his gastroenteroligist about the mac but he didn't give it much notice,didn't really say anything about it.should he be tested again for m.avium or hiv and should he be on meds for the m.avium? thank you very much in advance for your help.

If your husband has no respiratory symptoms, then you can ignore the M. avium. Is he a smoker? M. avium is usually recovered from people whose lungs have been damaged by something else. M. avium has nothing to do with hepatitis C-- they are caused by entirely different germs: one is a bacterium (M. avium) and the other is a virus (hep C). Unless he's had a risky exposure in the last 7 years, I don't think retesting for HIV is necessary.