One of a group of bacteria including those which cause leprosy and tuberculosis.
A genus of rodlike Gram-positive aerobic bacteria that can form filamentous branching structures. Some species are pathogenic to animals and man: M. leprae (Hansen’s bacillus) causes *leprosy; M. tuberculosis (Koch’s bacillus) causes tuberculosis. M. bovis causes tuberculosis in cattle but can also infect the lungs, joints, and intestines of man.
A gram-positive rod-like genus of aerobic bacteria, some species of which are harmful to humans and animals. For example, M. tuberculosis (Koch’s bacillus) and M. leprae cause, respectively, tuberculosis and leprosy.
A genus of acid fast, nonmotile, non— spore-forming bacilli of the family Mycobacteriaceae, which includes the causative agents of tuberculosis and leprosy. The organisms are slender, nonmotile, gram-positive rods and do not produce spores or capsules.