is mac disease contagious
1 MAC is not spread person to person like Mtb. 2  MAC is not contagious. 3  MAC lung disease seen in HIV negative (non-AIDS) patients is a chronic lung infection and early-on is often misdiagnosed as chronic bronchitis or recurrent pneumonia. The average age of patients with MAC lung disease in men is 55 years and 67 years in women. 2  Men are more likely to have cavitary MAC (holes in their lungs). 3  Women are more likely to have non-cavitary, nodular MAC. 4  Diagnosis of MAC lung disease usually requires: