01632nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001200059653002600071653003100097653001200128653001100140653001200151653000900163653001500172653003200187653002500219100001400244700002200258700001400280245005100294300001000345520099700355022001401352       1982                            d  c1982 Jan-Jun10aAnimals10aAnti-Bacterial Agents10aBacteriological Techniques10aDapsone10aHumans10aleprosy10aMice10aMice, Nude10aMicrobial Sensitivity Tests10aMycobacterium leprae1 aGrosset J1 aGuelpa-Lauras C C1 aLecoeur H00a[Current data on the bacteriology of leprosy].  a35-453 a<p>Microscopic examination and mouse foot-pad inoculation are the main tools in Mycobacterium leprae bacteriology. Microscopic examination enables to calculate bacteriological (IB) and morphological (IM) indexes. The former scores the density of acid-fast organisms in the lesions and the latter scores their viability since only solidly stained acid-fast organisms are likely to be alive. Mouse foot-pad inoculation provides the opportunity for studying the growth curve of M. leprae. Alterations of this growth curve under drug therapy enable to assess the antileprosy activity of drugs and to determine the drug sensitivity of organisms. Acquired and primary drug resistances to DDS are to date the most important events in the chemotherapy of leprosy. Researches are in progress on mice with congenitally reduced immunological capacity (nu/nu mice) and on antileprosy vaccination. Although no decisive advances have been obtained in these fields, researches in progress are promising.</p>  a0001-5938