Mycobacterium leprae

Mycobacterium leprae is an acid-fast bacterium that causes leprosy, primarily infecting skin and peripheral nerves. It grows extremely slowly and cannot be cultured in standard laboratory media.

Leprosy: A chronic infectious disease caused mainly by Mycobacterium leprae that affects skin, peripheral nerves, and sometimes other tissues. This is the disease produced by the bacterium and the context for its tissue damage.
Mycobacterium: A genus of acid-fast bacteria that includes pathogens causing tuberculosis and leprosy. M. leprae belongs to this genus, whose cell envelopes and biology it shares.
Gerhard Armauer Hansen: A Norwegian physician who identified the leprosy bacillus in 1873. Hansen’s discovery established the bacterial cause of leprosy.
Multidrug therapy for leprosy: A combination of antibiotics used to cure leprosy and limit the emergence of drug resistance. The regimen targets infections caused by M. leprae and prevents prolonged untreated disease.
Peripheral neuropathy: Damage or dysfunction of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. M. leprae injury to peripheral nerves can cause sensory loss and weakness.
Schwann cell: A glial cell that forms myelin around peripheral nerve fibers and supports unmyelinated axons. The bacterium invades these cells, contributing to peripheral nerve injury.
Bacterial cell wall: A structural layer outside the bacterial cell membrane that protects the cell and helps maintain its shape. Its distinctive envelope underlies acid-fast staining and resistance to environmental stresses.
Leprosy in antiquity: Historical evidence and accounts of diseases identified as leprosy in ancient societies. Ancient descriptions predate identification of the bacterium and complicate retrospective diagnosis.
Rifampicin: An antibiotic that inhibits bacterial RNA polymerase and is a core drug in leprosy treatment. A single supervised dose is used in some strategies to reduce disease risk among contacts.
Leprosy reaction: An acute inflammatory episode during leprosy that can damage nerves and other tissues. Immune responses to infection can suddenly worsen nerve injury, even during treatment.

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ActinomycetotaBroader topic: Its slow-growing, host-adapted biology broadens the phylum's range of pathogens.