Immunological potential of a cultivable mycobacterial strain M. habana against leprosy bacillus in mouse foot pad.

A strain of a typical mycobacteria M. habana originally afforded protection against M. tuberculosis challenge in mice, was tested for its immunological potential against leprosy bacillus in the mouse foot pad. The vaccine strain M. habana has arrested the growth of M. leprae into the mouse foot pad better than BCG (Phipps) and unvaccinated control.