Required for extrapulmonary dissemination. Mediates adherence to epithelial cells by binding to sulfated glycoconjugates present at the surface of these cells; binds heparin, dextran sulfate, fucoidan and chondroitin sulfate. Promotes hemagglutination of erythrocytes of certain host species. Induces mycobacterial aggregation. Glycosylated. Glycosylation may protect the protein from proteolytic degradation and be important for hemagglutination. It suggests that the carbohydrate moiety may be located within the C-terminal domain of HbhA (By similarity). To M.leprae HbhA.