In 2004, Tortoli et al. proposed the name ''M. chimaera'' for strains that a reverse hybridization–based line probe assay suggested belonged to MAIS (''M. avium–M. intracellulare–M. scrofulaceum'' group), but were different from ''M. avium'', ''M. intracellulare'', or ''M. scrofulaceum''. The new species name comes from the [[chimera (mythology)|Chimera]], a mythological being made up of parts of three different animals.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Henry |first=Ronnie |last2= |first2= |date=March 2017 |title=Etymologia: Mycobacterium chimaera |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2303.ET2303 |journal= Emerg Infect Dis |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=499 |doi=10.3201/eid2303.ET2303 |access-date=March 14, 2017 |quote=Citing public ___domain text from the CDC.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Tortoli|first1=E|last2=Rindi|first2=L|last3=Garcia|first3=MJ|last4=Chiaradonna|first4=P|last5=Dei|first5=R|last6=Garzelli|first6=C|last7=Kroppenstedt|first7=RM|last8=Lari|first8=N|last9=Mattei|first9=R|last10=Mariottini|first10=A|last11=Mazzarelli|first11=G|last12=Murcia|first12=MI|last13=Nanetti|first13=A|last14=Piccoli|first14=P|last15=Scarparo|first15=C|title=Proposal to elevate the genetic variant MAC-A, included in the Mycobacterium avium complex, to species rank as Mycobacterium chimaera sp. nov.|journal=International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology|date=July 2004|volume=54|issue=Pt 4|pages=1277–85|pmid=15280303|doi=10.1099/ijs.0.02777-0}}</ref>
