Mycobacterium leprae
| Mycobacterium leprae | |
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| Microphotograph of Mycobacterium leprae taken from a skin lesion | |
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| Mycobacterium leprae Hansen, 1874 | |
Mycobacterium leprae is a bacteria. It causes the disease, leprosy, also known as the Hanson's Disease.
Discovery
[change | change source]The bacterium was discovered in 1873 by a Norwegian doctor named Gerhard Armauer Hansen. M. leprae is a gram-positive, aerobic rod surrounded by the characteristic waxy coating unique to Mycobacteria.
Features
[change | change source]In size and shape, it closely resembles M. tuberculosis. Due to its thick, waxy coating, stains with carbol-fuchsin are used, rather than with the traditional Gram staining method.
