Research overview: feline leprosy and atypical mycobacteria in wild cats

Beyond bovine tuberculosis, felids can be affected by other mycobacteria, including the agents of feline leprosy that cause nodular skin disease. This overview surveys what is known about these atypical mycobacterial infections in wild and domestic cats, the suspected role of rodent reservoirs and bite or environmental exposure, and the clinical presentations that distinguish them from systemic tuberculosis. It examines diagnostic challenges, given the difficulty of culturing these organisms, and the place of leprosy-like disease within the broader mycobacterial landscape affecting cats. The synthesis connects dermatological disease to the wider epidemiology of mycobacteria in felids. It aims to give readers a view of the lesser-known mycobacterial infections of cats, complementing the more prominent story of bovine TB in lions and other big cats.