Mycobacterium leprae Causative agent of leprosy aka Hansens

Mycobacterium leprae Causative agent of leprosy (aka Hansen’s disease) Has a single circular chromosome Acid fast, Gram-positive rod Approx. 2 million people around the world have been left permanently disabled as a result of this disease However, according to the CDC, almost 95% of adults may be naturally unable to contract leprosy even if they come into contact with the bacteria. There about 100 cases diagnosed annually in the US Two types: Tuberculoid Lepromatous Sores are a symptom of both, but the lepromatous form is more severe and causes larger lumps and bumps http: //www. cdc. gov/leprosy/images/hansens. jpg Skin lesions from leprosy http: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e 2/Leprosy _thigh_demarcated_cutaneous_lesions. jpg/800 px. Leprosy_thigh_demarcated_cutaneous_lesions. jpg K. Carter F 2013 Modified by DYH

Mycobacterium leprae Symptoms include: skin lesions, muscle weakness, and numbness Diagnosis is by doing a biopsy of the skin lesions A lepromin skin test can be done to distinguish between the two types Treatment generally includes a cocktail of antibiotics (because there are some resistant strains) as well as antiinflammatory medications Diagnosing the disease early is important in that it can limit the spread of the disease and because it minimizes serious complications. The problem with this is that the disease has a long incubation period Cannot be cultured in vitro There is surprisingly little known about the mechanism of infection, although it may involve interaction with the cytokine or tyrosine signaling pathways, which are involved in cellular proliferation. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 2, 569 -586 K. Carter F 2013 Modified by DYH