Choosing the decolourizer and its strength to stain Mycobacterium leprae. Does it actually matter?

Abstract

Leprosy bacilli are more easily decolourized during staining than tuberculosis bacilli, so a weaker concentration of decolourizer is usually recommended. In Indonesia, the same 'strong' decolourizer is used for identifying both organisms. In a study to compare the results using different concentrations of different decolourizers, no difference could be found in the bacterial index (BI). It is suggested that the same staining technique can be used for tuberculosis and leprosy.