Mycobacteria

From Ganfyd

Mycobacteria are a bacterial genus. Mycobacteria are acid-alcohol fast bacteria (AAFB), because they can only be visualised by special acid-alcohol Ziehl-Neelsen staining.

Not all of them are pathogenic; some are pathogenic in the immune compromised. They include the causes of:

• Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis)
• Leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae)

Other mycobacteria that can occasionally infect humans include:

• Mycobacteria microti
• Mycobacteria avium
• Mycobacteria malmoense
• Mycobacteria ulcerans - produces Buruli ulcer^[1]
• Mycobacteria marinum - produces fishtank granuloma
• Mycobacterium kansasii - causes chest infections, which may be similar to TB

Mycobacteria characteristically grow slowly, especially M. tuberculosis.

External links

• Bovine TB: TB in other species (at Defra web site)
• Mycobacterial diseases in cats and man in the UK from thecatgroup

References