Mycobacterium lepraemurium

Description

• Rough nonchromogenic colonies.

• Growth on inspissated 1% egg yolk medium at 30 °C - 37 °C within 4–5 weeks.

  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.
• Nodular 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 level 2

  Type strain