Observations on the cultivation of M. leprae in medium 'V' (Veeraraghavan)

The medium 'V' has been evaluated for the in vitro growth of M. leprae. M. leprae were obtained from five untreated cases of multibacillary type of leprosy. Medium was prepared and inoculated by the method described by Veeraraghavan. Killed (Autoclaved) M. leprae from the same biopsies were kept as controls. Growth was monitored in a double blind manner at 60 hours, 120 hours of incubation at 8-10 degrees C of both primary and subcultures. Counting was done by both standard Shepard and McRae method as well as by Veeraraghavan's method. There was no evidence of any multiplication in any of the cases at 60 and 120 hours of incubation.