Mycobacterium lepraemurium
Encyclopedia
Mycobacterium lepraemurium is a causative agent of feline leprosy. It causes granulomatous lesions, characteristic of the Mycobacterium
genus.
Colony characteristics
Physiology
Mycobacterium
Mycobacterium is a genus of Actinobacteria, given its own family, the Mycobacteriaceae. The genus includes pathogens known to cause serious diseases in mammals, including tuberculosis and leprosy...
genus.
Description
Gram-positive, nonmotile and strongly acid-fast rods (3-5 µm long). Slightly rounded ends.Colony characteristics
- Rough nonchromogenic colonies.
Physiology
- Growth on inspissated 1% egg yolk medium at 30°C - 37°C within 4–5 weeks (using large inocula, confined to a concentrated area of the medium, egg white is inhibitory).
Pathogenesis
- Cause of endemic disease of rats in various parts of the world, as well as feline leprosy.
- feline leprosy is transmitted by bites from rats and other cats.
- Disease occurs mainly in the skin and lymph nodes, causing induration, alopecia and eventual ulceration.
- NodularNodule (medicine)For use of the term nodule in dermatology, see Nodule In medicine, a nodule refers to a relatively hard, roughly spherical abnormal structure....
lesions, involving subcutaneous tissues, may be solitary or multiple and usually confined to the head region or the limbs. Nodules are fleshy and freely movable. - Surgical excision of the lesions is the preferred treatment.
- Only the densely and uniformly stained forms appear to be infectious for animals, in contrast to the degenerate unevenly stained forms.
- Biosafety levelBiosafety levelA biosafety level is the level of the biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed facility. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 to the highest at level 4 . In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and...
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