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Mycobacterium
(mi″ko-bak-tērŽe-әm)
a genus of gram-positive, aerobic, acid-fast bacteria with a rod shape. Many species cause disease: M. tuberculoŽsis causes tuberculosis; M. leŽprae causes leprosy; M. aŽvium causes disease in birds and pigs and lung disease in humans; M. boŽvis causes disease in cattle and occasionally tuberculosis in humans who drink infected milk; M. cheloŽnae is an opportunistic pathogen that causes various types of abscesses and other lesions; M. haemoŽphilum causes skin lesions; M. hoŽminis is a common inhabitant of the vagina and cervix and causes infections of the male and female reproductive tracts, as well
as respiratory disease and sore throat; M. intracellulaŽre can cause lung disease in adults and lymph node infection in children; M. kansaŽsii causes a tuberculosislike disease; M. mariŽnum (also known as M. balŽnei) causes swimming pool granuloma; and M. fortuŽitum causes lesions of the lung, bone, or soft tissue after trauma. An attenuated strain of M. bovis is used to prepare BCG vaccine.

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