MYCOBACTERIUM MICROTI

'''Mycobacterium microti'''


★ Member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)

★ Also known as the 'Vole bacillus'

★ Etymology: microtus is a genus that includes the vole.

Contents

Description

Pathogenesis

Type Strain

References

Description

Gram-positive, nonmotile and acid-fast rods.
'Colony characteristics'

★ Variable colony morphology, buff in colour, either rough or smooth.
'Physiology'

★ Growth on glycerol-free egg media at 37°C within 28-60 days. May adapt tolerance to glycerol.

★ Sensitive to isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampin, streptomycin and pyrazinamide.
'Differential characteristics'

★ A commercial hybridisation assay (AccuProbe) to identify members of the M. tuberculosis complex exists.

★ All members of the M. tuberculosis complex share identical 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) sequences

★ But molecular differentiation is possible by gyrB sequence polymorphism

Pathogenesis

★ Cause of naturally acquired generalised tuberculosis in voles.

★ Recently 'van Soolingen et al.' reported about the first infections among humans caused by M. microti

★ Losing pathogenicity on repeated subculture.

★ Biosafety level 3

Type Strain

Strain ATCC 19422 = CIP 104256 = NCTC 8710.

References

★ 'Reed,G.' 1957. Genus Mycobacterium (species affecting warm-blooded animals except those causing leprosy), In: R.S. BREED, E.G.D. MURRAY and N.R. SMITH (eds): Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 7th edition, The Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore, 1957, p. 703-704.

★ 'van Soolingen et al.', 1998. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 1840-1845.