Title: Mycobacterium lepraemurium

{{Short description|Species of bacterium}}
{{Italic title}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2024}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = ''Mycobacterium lepraemurium''
| genus = Mycobacterium
| species = lepraemurium
| authority = Marchoux and Sorel 1912&lt;ref&gt;'''Marchoux, F., E. Sorel.''' 1912.  Recherches sur la lèpre. Annales de l'Institut Pasteur (Paris), 26, 675-700.&lt;/ref&gt;
}}

'''''Mycobacterium lepraemurium''''' is a causative agent of [[feline leprosy]].&lt;ref name=&quot;pmid15265479&quot;&gt;{{cite journal  |vauthors=Hughes MS, James G, Taylor MJ, etal |title=PCR studies of feline leprosy cases |journal=J. Feline Med. Surg. |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=235–43 |date=August 2004 |pmid=15265479 |doi=10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.003 |s2cid=11959603 |pmc=10822608 }}&lt;/ref&gt;  It causes [[granulomatous]] [[lesions]], characteristic of the ''[[Mycobacterium]]'' genus.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

==Description==
Gram-positive, nonmotile and strongly acid-fast rods (3-5&amp;nbsp;μm long). Slightly rounded ends.

'''Colony characteristics'''
*Rough [[nonchromogenic]] colonies.

'''Physiology'''
*Growth on inspissated 1% egg yolk medium at 30&amp;nbsp;°C - 37&amp;nbsp;°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.
*[[Nodule (medicine)|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==
{{Reflist}}

{{Mycobacteria}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q6947057}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mycobacterium Lepraemurium}}
[[Category:Acid-fast bacilli]]
[[Category:Nontuberculous mycobacteria|lepraemurium]]
[[Category:Leprosy]]
[[Category:Cat diseases]]
[[Category:Bacteria described in 1912]]

{{Mycobacterium-stub}}
{{veterinary-med-stub}}