A Sensitive and Quantitative Assay to Enumerate and Measure Mycobacterium leprae Viability in Clinical and Experimental Specimens.

Mycobacterium leprae, the etiologic agent of leprosy, cannot be cultured on artificial media. This characteristic, coupled with its long generation time, presents a number of unique challenges to studying this pathogen. One of the difficulties facing both researchers and clinicians is the absence of a rapid test to measure the viability of M.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) efficacy of rifampin, rifapentine, moxifloxacin, minocycline, and clarithromycin in a susceptible-subclinical model of leprosy.

Background: Subclinical infection with Mycobacterium leprae is one potential source of leprosy transmission, and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimens have been proposed to control this source. Because PEP trials require considerable investment, we applied a sensitive variation of the kinetic mouse footpad (MFP) screening assay to aid in the choice of drugs and regimens for clinical trials.

Methodology/principal Findings: Athymic nude mice were inoculated in the footpad (FP) with 6 x 103 viable M.

Isolation of Mycobacterium lepromatosis and Development of Molecular Diagnostic Assays to Distinguish Mycobacterium leprae and M. lepromatosis.

Background: Mycobacterium leprae was thought to be the exclusive causative agent of leprosy until Mycobacterium lepromatosis was identified in a rare form of leprosy known as diffuse lepromatous leprosy (DLL).

Methods: We isolated M. lepromatosis from a patient with DLL and propagated it in athymic nude mouse footpads.