Mycobacterium asiaticum

Description

• Gram-positive, nonmotile, acid-fast, coccoid rods.

• Dysgonic and yellow photochromogenic colonies.

• Slow growth on Löwenstein-Jensen medium at 37 °C after 15–21 days.

• Unique 16S rRNA sequence.
• Biochemically M. asiaticum and Mycobacterium gordonae can only be differentiated by the mode of pigmentation.

  Pathogenesis

• Rarely causes human pulmonary disease.

  Type strain

• First isolated from monkeys in 1965.
• Strain ATCC 25276 = CCUG 29115 = CIP 106809 = DSM 44297 = JCM 6409.