Lung transplantation (LT) is a therapeutic option in patients with end-stage lung diseases where other effective treatments are lacking [1]. However, the procedure is not without risks and side-effects. One of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients is infection [1, 2]. Recently, there has been an increase in the incidence of emerging infections, with the majority of mycobacterial infections due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis [3], although this is not the only pathogen in the mycobacteria group. Atypical mycobacteria are also being identified with increasing frequency as the cause of disease in transplant patients [2, 4–7].