A strain of mycobacterium isolated from skin lesions of a cold-blooded animal, Xenopus laevis, and its relation to atypical acid-fast bacilli occurring in man

Abstract

1. A brief review of the literature on acid-fast bacilli found in skin lesions is given.2. The characteristics are described of an acid-fast bacillus isolated from a skin lesion found in the South African Xenopus laevis.3. Reasons are given to support the view that chromogenic acid-fast bacilli cultured from skin lesions belong to the group of ‘Saprophytic acid-fast bacilli’.4. The possibility of using the Middlebrook-Dubos haemolysin test as a tool to differentiate atypical acid-fast bacilli is discussed.Thanks are due to Dr Charles Pike for all the histological reports, to Mr T. R. West for the microphotographs, to Dr Piersma (Messrs Lederle) for the gift of special sensitive Old Tuberculin for the Middlebrook test, to Dr Nassau for patients' sera and the ‘Goss’ antigen and finally to Mr W. J. Fincham for the titrations of the haemolysin titres.