BOGEN E, FROMAN S, WILL D
Calif Med. 1959 Feb;90(2):117-20.
Disease due to the typical human type tubercle bacillus is rapidly diminishing as a result of public health measures and specific chemotherapy. Lesions in man resulting from other kinds of acid-fast bacilli are now being recognized in increasing numbers. Some of these bacilli had been seen before but were confused with typical M. hominis, others were considered to be harmless saprophytes, while others could not be found with the methods used. Special culture media, different conditions for cultivation, new physical, chemical and biological tests, and inoculation into a variety of animal hosts are now available. With their use more than a dozen different strains of human type tubercle bacilli, and more than a score of other species of acid-fast bacilli may now be distinguished. A simple chemical test readily separates the human type tubercle bacilli from all other kinds of acid-fast bacilli. The differentiation of the different human and animal pathogenic acid-fast bacilli from the avirulent saprophytes and other harmless mycobacteria presents great difficulties, but methods are becoming available which usually make this possible. Since the distinction may be of great therapeutic and epidemiologic importance, the effort should be made.
由于公共卫生措施和特异性化疗，典型人类型结核杆菌所致疾病正在迅速减少。现在，由其他种类抗酸杆菌引起的人类病变正越来越多地被发现。其中一些杆菌以前就已被发现，但与典型的人型结核杆菌混淆，其他一些被认为是无害的腐生菌，还有一些则无法用所使用的方法检测到。现在有了特殊的培养基、不同的培养条件、新的物理、化学和生物学检测方法，以及接种到多种动物宿主中的方法。通过使用这些方法，现在可以区分出十几种不同的人型结核杆菌菌株，以及二十多种其他抗酸杆菌物种。一种简单的化学检测方法可以很容易地将人型结核杆菌与所有其他抗酸杆菌区分开来。将不同的人和动物致病性抗酸杆菌与无毒腐生菌及其他无害分枝杆菌区分开来存在很大困难，但现在已有通常能实现这一区分的方法。由于这种区分可能具有重大的治疗和流行病学意义，因此应做出努力。
