''Mycobacterium microti'' *Member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) *Also known as the 'Vole bacillus' *

Etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

: microtus is a genus that includes small field rodents such as the

vole Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of low-c ...

. This mycobacterium species was first described as a pathogen of field voles in England

Description

Gram-positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. Gram-positive bacte ...

, nonmotile,

acid-fast Acid-fastness is a physical property of certain bacterial and eukaryotic cells, as well as some sub-cellular structures, specifically their resistance to decolorization by acids during laboratory staining procedures. Once stained as part of a sam ...

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 Streptomycin is an antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections, including tuberculosis, ''Mycobacterium avium'' complex, endocarditis, brucellosis, ''Burkholderia'' infection, plague, tularemia, and rat bite fever. ...

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 Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

voles Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of low-c ...

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

* * *

External links

Type strain of ''Mycobacterium microti'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
Acid-fast bacilli microti Bacteria described in 1957 {{Mycobacterium-stub