Mycobacterium lepraemurium

Mycobacterium lepraemurium
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Actinobacteria
Order:	Actinomycetales
Suborder:	Corynebacterineae
Family:	Mycobacteriaceae
Genus:	Mycobacterium
Species:	M. lepraemurium
Binomial name
Mycobacterium lepraemurium Marchoux and Sorel 1912[1]

Mycobacterium lepraemurium is a causative agent of feline leprosy.^[2] It causes granulomatous lesions, characteristic of the Mycobacterium 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.
• 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

None specified due to difficulties in cultivation.

References

1. Marchoux,F., E. Sorel. 1912. Recherches sur la lèpre. Annales de l'Institut Pasteur (Paris), 26, 675-700.
2. Hughes MS, James G, Taylor MJ, et al. (August 2004). "PCR studies of feline leprosy cases". J. Feline Med. Surg. 6 (4): 235–43. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.003. PMID 15265479.