Editing Mycobacterium leprae (section)

== Microbiology ==
[[File:Leprosy Wade Fite stain 100x.jpg|thumb|Modified AFB staining in a case of lepromatous leprosy showing numerous rod shaped acid fast bacilli]]

''Mycobacterium leprae'' is an intracellular, [[pleomorphism (microbiology)|pleomorphic]], [[Endospore|non-sporing]], [[Motility|non-motile]], [[acid-fast]], [[pathogenic bacterium]].<ref name="Baron">{{cite book | vauthors = McMurray DN | chapter = Mycobacteria and Nocardia. | title = Baron's Medical Microbiology | editor = Baron S. | edition = 4th | publisher = University of Texas Medical Branch | year = 1996 | pmid = 21413269 | chapter-url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mmed.section.1833 | isbn = 978-0-9631172-1-2 | display-editors = etal | access-date = September 5, 2017 | archive-date = February 12, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090212202626/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mmed.section.1833 | url-status = live }}</ref> It is an [[Aerobic organism|aerobic]] [[bacillus]] (rod-shaped bacterium) with parallel sides and round ends, surrounded by the characteristic waxy coating of [[mycolic acid]] unique to [[mycobacteria]]. It is [[Gram-positive bacteria|Gram-positive]] by [[Gram stain]]ing, but ''Mycobacterium leprae'' was traditionally stained with  [[carbol fuchsin]] in the [[Ziehl–Neelsen stain]]. Because the bacilli are less acid-fast than ''[[Mycobacterium tuberculosis]]'' (MTB), the Fite-Faraco staining method, which has a lower acid concentration, is used now.<ref name="pmid35061916">{{cite journal |vauthors=Kalagarla S, Alluri R, Saka S, Godha V, Undavalli N, Kolalapudi SA |title=Efficacy of fluorescent microscopy versus modified Fite-Faraco stain in skin biopsy specimens of leprosy cases - a comparative study |journal=International Journal of Dermatology |volume=61 |issue=5 |pages=595–599 |date=May 2022 |pmid=35061916 |doi=10.1111/ijd.16046|s2cid=246165881 }}</ref><ref name="pmid35379512">{{cite journal |vauthors=Froes LA, Sotto MN, Trindade MA |title=Leprosy: clinical and immunopathological characteristics |journal=Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia |volume=97 |issue=3 |pages=338–347 |date=2022 |pmid=35379512 |pmc=9133310 |doi=10.1016/j.abd.2021.08.006}}</ref>  In size and shape, it closely resembles MTB. The bacteria are found in the granulomatous lesions and are especially numerous in the nodules. This bacteria often occur in large numbers within the lesions of lepromatous leprosy and are usually grouped together as a [[Palisade (pathology)|palisade]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/lep/microbiology/en/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608081632/http://www.who.int/lep/microbiology/en/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 8, 2013|title=Microbiology of M.leprae|website=World Health Organization}}</ref> 
By [[Optical microscope|optical microscopy]] of host cells, ''Mycobacterium leprae'' can be found singly or in clumps referred to as "globi", the bacilli can be straight or slightly curved, with a length ranging from 1–8 [[micrometre|μm]] and a diameter of 0.3 μm.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Shinnick TM | veditors = Dworkin M, Falkow S, Rosenberg E, Schleifer KH, Stackebrandt E |chapter=''Mycobacterium leprae'' |title=The Prokaryotes |publisher=Springer |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-387-25493-7 |pages=934–44 |doi=10.1007/0-387-30743-5_35 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1232954 |access-date=July 14, 2019 |archive-date=September 29, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200929112420/https://zenodo.org/record/1232954 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bacteria grow best at 27 to 30&nbsp;°C, making the skin, nasal mucosa and peripheral nerves primary targets for infection by ''Mycobacterium leprae''.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Gorbach SL, Bartlett JG, Blacklow NR | title=Infectious diseases | publisher=Saunders | publication-place=Philadelphia |page=1882 |date=1992 | isbn=0-7216-4168-7 | oclc=22346573}}</ref>