328 VETERINARY BACTERIOLOGY 



Bacillus leprae 



Synonyms. Bacterium leprce; Mycobacterium leprce. 



Disease Produced. Leprosy in man. 



Hansen, in 1872, discovered the bacillus of leprosy in the lesions 

 of the disease. It was studied more at length by Neisser and 

 Hansen, who published their report in 1880. 



Distribution. Leprosy is common in Asia, northern Europe, 

 in certain Pacific Islands, and is found occasionally in various 

 parts of the United States. A similar, though probably not 

 identical, disease has been noted by Wherry and others in rats. 



Morphology and Staining. B. kprce resembles the B. tubercu- 

 losis. It is a slender rod, frequently as much as 6 ^ in length. The 



Fig. 133. Bacillus leprce (Kolle and Wasserman). 



rods are usually straight, non-motile, do not produce spores or 

 capsules. They stain somewhat more readily than the B. tuber- 

 culosis, but are distinctly acid-fast. 



Isolation and Culture. Several investigators claim to have 

 cultivated the leprosy bacillus, but the results in every (jase need 

 confirmation. It is not certainly known that it has ever been suc- 

 cessfully grown upon artificial media. 



Physiology. Until the organism can be secured in pure cul- 

 tures, little or nothing can be determined as to its physiology. 



Pathogenesis. Experimental Evidence. Lower animals, with 

 the possible exception of the monkey, cannot be successfully 

 infected with the Bacillus leprce. Arning succeeded in infecting 



