Mycobacterium

Mycobacterium /My·co·bac·te·ri·um/ (-bak-tēr´e-um) a genus of gram-positive, acid-fast bacteria (family Mycobacteriaceae), including M. a´vium-intracellula´re, a complex that causes opportunistic infections in patients with HIV infection, M. bal´nei (M. mari´num), the cause of swimming pool granuloma; M. bo´vis, the cause of cattle tuberculosis, transmitted to humans through milk; M. kansa´sii, the cause of a tuberculosis-like disease; M. le´prae, the cause of leprosy; and M. tuberculo´sis (the tubercle bacillus), the cause of tuberculosis, usually of the lungs.

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mycobacterium /my·co·bac·te·ri·um/ (mi″ko-bak-tēr´e-um) pl. mycobacte´ria   an individual organism of the genus Mycobacterium.

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anonymous mycobacteria , atypical mycobacteria nontuberculous mycobacteria.

Group I–IV mycobacteria  see nontuberculous mycobacteria.

nontuberculous mycobacteria  mycobacteria other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis or M. bovis ; they are divided into four groups, I–IV, on the basis of several physical characteristics.

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Mycobacterium

n.

A genus of aerobic, nonmotile bacteria containing gram-positive rods and including both parasitic and saprophytic species.

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my·co·bac·te·ri·um (mk-bk-tîr-m)

n.

Any of various slender rod-shaped aerobic bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium, which includes the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and leprosy.

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Mycobacterium

[mī′kōbaktir′ē·əm]

Etymology: Gk, mykes + bakterion, small rod

a genus of rod-shaped acid-fast bacteria having two significant pathogenic species: Mycobacterium leprae, which causes leprosy, and M. tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis. M. avium complex or M. avium-intracellulare disseminated infection may occur in AIDS and cause cervical adenitis in children and pulmonary disease in immunodeficient patients.

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Mycobacterium

(mī´kōbakter´ēm),
n a genus of rod-shaped, acid-fast bacteria.

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Mycobacterium

the only genus in the family Mycobacteriaceae of bacteria; slender acid-fast rods which may be straight or slightly curved. They may produce filaments or cocci. The most serious disease caused by members of this genus is tuberculosis. M. fortuitum, M. chelonea, M. marinum are listed as causes of piscine tuberculosis. Other species, including M. aquae, M. kansasii and M. scrofulaceum, may occasionally cause disease in a number of different species.

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Mycobacterium avium

found mostly in birds but occasionally also in other animals and in humans. The tubercle bacillus of birds, it causes avian tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

causes Johne's disease in cattle, sheep, goats, deer and camelids. Previously called M. johnei and M. paratuberculosis.

Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare

complex see M. intracellulare (below).

Mycobacterium bovis

the tubercle bacillus of the bovine, it causes tuberculosis in many animal species and humans.

Mycobacterium chelonei, Mycobacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium phlei, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium thermoresistible

cause disease in a number of animal species, including mastitis in cattle and cutaneous mycobacterial granuloma in cats and dogs. See also opportunist (atypical) mycobacteria.

Mycobacterium farcinogenes, Mycobacterium senegalense

associated with bovine farcy.

Mycobacterium genovense

causes mycobacteriosis in birds.

Mycobacterium intracellulare

found in tuberculin-positive cattle and causes limited lymph node lesions in pigs. Closely related to M. avium and also described as M. avium-intracellulare complex.

Mycobacterium johnei

see M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (above).

Mycobacterium kansasii

causes tuberculosis-like disease in pigs, deer and cattle.

Mycobacterium leprae

the cause of leprosy in humans.

Mycobacterium lepraemurium

causes murine and feline leprosy.

Mycobacterium marinum

found in water, it causes tuberculosis in fish and skin ulcers in humans.

Mycobacterium microti

the vole bacillus; lesions sometimes occur in other species.

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis

previously called M. johnei. See M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (above).

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

the tubercle bacillus of humans, but found also in monkeys and pigs, and rarely in cattle, dogs and parrots.

Mycobacterium ulcerans

causes skin ulcers in humans and cats.

Mycobacterium xenopi

causes mycobacterial granuloma in cats and lymph node lesions in pigs.

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Mycobacterium

A genus of obligate aerobic bacteria, family Mycobacteriaceae, order Actinomycetales; all are capable of producing the typical chronic inflammation, Langhans' giant cells and caseating necrosis, and are indistinguishable by acid-fast staining–due to the high lipid concentration in the outer cell wall; skin is the usual portal of entry for non-TB mycobacteria. See Acid-fast stain, Atypical mycobacteria, Buruli ulcer, Langhans' giant cells, MOTT, Nontuberculous mycobacteria, Prosector's wart, Runyon classification, Scrofula, Tuberculosis.