Prevalence and significance of positive Mitsuda reaction in the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus).
One hundred two armadillos captured from the wild were lepomin tested. Nine of them (8.8%) showed a positive Mitsuda reaction. The histopathological appearance of the reaction had a spectrum showing tuberculoid, borderline tuberculoid, borderline lepromatous, and lepromatous histology. It is possible that armadillos can develop all the different types of leprosy seen in humans. The armadillo is a good animal model to test protective vaccines against leprosy.
Pathology Research Department, GWL Hansen's Disease Center, Carville, Louisiana 70721.
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D000818:Animals; D001135:Armadillos / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D007916:Lepromin / Q000276:immunology*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004490:Xenarthra / Q000276:immunology*
D007916:Lepromin