Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Mycobacterium microti

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Kingdom
  
Bacteria

Order
  
Actinomycetales

Family
  
Mycobacteriaceae

Scientific name
  
Mycobacterium microti

Phylum
  
Actinobacteria

Suborder
  
Corynebacterineae

Genus
  
Mycobacterium

Rank
  
Species


Similar
  
Mycobacterium africanum, Mycobacterium canetti, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium kansasii, Mycobacterium scrofulaceum

Mycobacterium microti

Contents

  • Member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)
  • Also known as the 'Vole bacillus'
  • Etymology: microtus is a genus that includes small field rodents such as the vole. This mycobacterium species was first described as a pathogen of field voles in England

    • Description

    Gram-positive, nonmotile, acid-fast rods.

    Colony characteristics

  • Variable colony morphology, buff in colour, either rough or smooth.

    • Physiology

  • Slow growth on glycerol-free egg media at 37 °C often requiring incubation for 28–60 days. May adapt tolerance to glycerol. May fail to grow in liquid media.
  • Usually susceptible to the first line anti tuberculosis antibiotics isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampin, streptomycin and pyrazinamide.

    • Differential characteristics

    Commercially available nucleic acid hybridisation assays are widely used to identify members of the M. tuberculosis complex..

    Differentiation between individual members of the M tuberculosis complex is possible using a variety of molecular techniques, and individual strains within a species may be further distinguished using a variety of molecular typing methods.

    Pathogenesis

    Cause of naturally acquired generalized tuberculosis in voles and other mammals, including cats and new world camelids such as llamas. Human infections are rare, but do occur in both immunocompromised and apparently immunocompetent patients.,

    Type strain

    Strain ATCC 19422 = CIP 104256 = NCTC 8710.

    References

    Mycobacterium microti Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA