Microphotograph of Mycobacterium leprae taken from a skin lesion. The small brick-red rod-shaped cells appear in clusters. Source: CDC
Scientific classification
Domain:
Bacteria
Phylum:
Actinomycetota
Class:
Actinomycetia
Order:
Mycobacteriales
Family:
Mycobacteriaceae
Genus:
Mycobacterium
Species:
M. leprae
Binomial name
Mycobacterium leprae
Hansen, 1874
Mycobacterium leprae (also known as the leprosy bacillus or Hansen's bacillus) is one[a]
of the two species of bacteria that cause Hansen's disease (leprosy),[1] a chronic but curable infectious disease that damages the peripheral nerves and targets the skin, eyes, nose, and muscles.[2]
It is an acid-fast, Gram-positive, rod shaped bacterium and an obligate intracellular parasite, which means, unlike its relative Mycobacterium tuberculosis, it cannot be grown in cell-free laboratory media.[3] This is likely due to gene deletion and decay that the genome of the species has experienced via reductive evolution, which has caused the bacterium to depend heavily on its host for nutrients and metabolic intermediates.[4] It has a narrow host range and apart from humans, the only other natural hosts are nine-banded armadillo and red squirrels.[5]
The bacteria infect mainly macrophages and Schwann cells, and are typically found congregated as a palisade.[6][7]
Mycobacterium leprae was sensitive to dapsone as a treatment alone, but since the 1960's, it has developed resistance against this antibiotic. Currently, a multidrug treatment (MDT) is recommended by the World Health Organization, including dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine. The species was discovered in 1873 by the Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, and was the first bacterium to be identified as a cause of disease in humans.[8]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^Serrano-Coll H, Cardona-Castro N (June 2022). "Neuropathic ulcers in leprosy: clinical features, diagnosis and treatment". Journal of Wound Care. 31 (Sup6): S32–S40. doi:10.12968/jowc.2022.31.Sup6.S32. PMID 35678776. S2CID 249521365.
^"Mycobacterium Leprae, the Cause of Leprosy". Microbiology Society. August 27, 2014. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
^Cite error: The named reference Baron was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference pmid21162636 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Sharma R, Singh P, Pena M, Subramanian R, Chouljenko V, Kim J, et al. (August 2018). "Differential growth of Mycobacterium leprae strains (SNP genotypes) in armadillos". Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 62: 20–26. doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2018.04.017. PMID 29665434. S2CID 4953934.
^Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Leal-Calvo T, Martins BL, Bertoluci DF, Rosa PS, de Camargo RM, Germano GV, Brito de Souza VN, Pereira Latini AC, Moraes MO (2021). "Large-Scale Gene Expression Signatures Reveal a Microbicidal Pattern of Activation in Mycobacterium leprae-Infected Monocyte-Derived Macrophages With Low Multiplicity of Infection". Frontiers in Immunology. 12: 647832. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.647832. PMC 8085500. PMID 33936067.
^Cite error: The named reference Hansen_1874 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
and 29 Related for: Mycobacterium leprae information
Mycobacteriumleprae (also known as the leprosy bacillus or Hansen's bacillus) is one of the two species of bacteria that cause Hansen's disease (leprosy)...
M. leprae requiring 12 days per division cycle compared to 20 minutes for some E. coli strains. Whereas Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. leprae are...
rRNA gene confirms that the species is distinct from Mycobacteriumleprae. Members of the Mycobacterium genus are characterized by being Gram-positive, non-motile...
disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacteriumleprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves...
Norwegian physician, remembered for his identification of the bacterium Mycobacteriumleprae in 1873 as the causative agent of leprosy. His distinguished work...
22 geneticists using comparative genomics of the worldwide distribution of Mycobacteriumleprae. Monot et al. (2005) determined that leprosy originated in East Africa...
compared to Mycobacterium marinum, a pathogen from the same family. Mycobacteirum marinum has a larger genome compared to Mycobacteriumleprae because it...
Hansen's disease, named after Gerhard Armauer Hansen who discovered Mycobacteriumleprae, the bacterial agent that causes Hansen's disease. Those who have...
of a standardized extract of the inactivated "leprosy bacillus" (Mycobacteriumleprae or "Hansen's bacillus") under the skin. It is not recommended as...
sulfameter thalidomide Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacteriumleprae. Host defenses are crucial in determining the patient's response...
of a large number of epithelioid cells. In this form of leprosy, Mycobacteriumleprae are either absent from the lesion or occur in very small numbers...
Examples include many species of Mycobacterium, including Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacteriumleprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the latter two of which...
body temperature, which is hospitable to the leprosy bacterium, Mycobacteriumleprae. (The leprosy bacterium is difficult to culture and armadillos have...
absence of epithelioid cells in the lesions. In this form of leprosy Mycobacteriumleprae are found in lesion in large numbers. This is the most unfavorable...
PMC 8723782. PMID 35004007. Renault, Cybèle A.; Ernst, Joel D. (2015). "Mycobacteriumleprae (Leprosy)". Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice...
Mycobacterium fortuitum is a nontuberculous species of the phylum Actinomycetota (Gram-positive bacteria with high guanine and cytosine content, one of...
Mycobacterium bovis is a slow-growing (16- to 20-hour generation time) aerobic bacterium and the causative agent of tuberculosis in cattle (known as bovine...
example for such gene decay is the genome of Mycobacteriumleprae, the causative agent of leprosy. M. leprae has lost many once-functional genes over time...
pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacteriumleprae, the latter being "the earliest case of leprosy with a confirmed date in which M. leprae DNA was...
active in vitro and clinically against Mycobacteriumleprae but has only marginal activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.[medical citation needed]...
Mycobacterium avium complex is a group of mycobacteria comprising Mycobacterium intracellulare and Mycobacterium avium that are commonly grouped because...
effectively. In biology, some bacteria are thermophobic, such as mycobacteriumleprae which causes leprosy. Thermophobic response in living organisms is...
characterized by direct neural infection by the causative organism, mycobacteriumleprae. Leprosy presents with a heterogeneous clinical picture dictated...
Mycobacteroides abscessus (formerly Mycobacterium abscessus) is a species of rapidly growing, multidrug-resistant, nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) that...
PMC 164491. PMID 12743376. Rojas-Espinosa O, Løvik M (2001). "Mycobacteriumleprae and Mycobacterium lepraemurium infections in domestic and wild animals". Rev...
Mycobacterium smegmatis is an acid-fast bacterial species in the phylum Actinomycetota and the genus Mycobacterium. It is 3.0 to 5.0 μm long with a bacillus...
Mycobacterium ulcerans is a species of bacteria found in various aquatic environments. The bacteria can infect humans and some other animals, causing...
cholera, foodborne illness, leprosy (caused by Mycobacteriumleprae) and tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis). A pathogenic cause for a known...
Global Information
