
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Mycobacterium fallax
Introduction
Mycobacterium fallax
Description
Description
Gram-positive, nonmotile and acid-fast rods (0.5 – 1µm long) except for a small number (less than 20%) of cyanophil forms.
Colony characteristics
- Large, eugonic, buff coloured and rough colonies (Löwenstein-Jensen medium at 30°C).
- Cauliflower-like morphology, resembling M. tuberculosis colonies. Cord formation at the edges of colonies (Middlebrook 7H10 agar at 30°C).
Physiology
- Rapid growth on Löwenstein-Jensen or Middlebrook 7H10 media.
- Susceptible to ethambutol, rifampin and kanamycin.
- Resistant to isoniazid, pyrazinamide and streptomycin.
Differential characteristics
- Similarities to M. tuberculosis include colony morphology, thermolabile catalase, positive nitrate reductase; differences are negative reactions for niacin production and rapid growth at 30°C.
Type Strain
Type Strain
- Isolated from environmental sources in France and the former Czechoslovakia. Strain ATCC 35219 = CCUG 37584 = CIP 81.39 = DSM 44179 = JCM 6405.
References
References
- Lévy-Frébault et al. 1983. Mycobacterium fallax sp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1983, 33, 336-343.
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