Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
Mycobacterium leprae
MICROBIOLOGY
- Acid-fast bacillus (AFB) morphologically resembles tubercle bacillus.
- M. leprae seen worldwide, but most common in Asia, Central and South America. Brazil, India, and Indonesia contribute 80% to the global new caseload.
- Newly identified species M. lepromatosis sp nov has been proposed as causing disseminated leprosy[10].
- Slow-growing. Obligate intracellular pathogen, average doubling time ~2 weeks. Cannot culture in the microbiology lab.
- Armadillos and immunocompromised mice used to grow M. leprae for research purposes.
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Last updated: May 11, 2023
Citation
Fabre, Valeria. "Mycobacterium Leprae." Johns Hopkins ABX Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2023. Pediatrics Central, peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540310/all/Mycobacterium_leprae.
Fabre V. Mycobacterium leprae. Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2023. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540310/all/Mycobacterium_leprae. Accessed July 21, 2025.
Fabre, V. (2023). Mycobacterium leprae. In Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540310/all/Mycobacterium_leprae
Fabre V. Mycobacterium Leprae [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2023. [cited 2025 July 21]. Available from: https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540310/all/Mycobacterium_leprae.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Mycobacterium leprae
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Y1 - 2023/05/11/
BT - Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
UR - https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540310/all/Mycobacterium_leprae
PB - The Johns Hopkins University
DB - Pediatrics Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
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