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Relation of Infection to Tissue Temperature in Mice Infected with Mycobacterium marinum and Mycobacterium leprae

Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, Atlanta, Georgia

ABSTRACT

Intravenous and footpad infections with Mycobacterium marinum and footpad infections with M. leprae were compared in the following mouse strains: A/He, BALB/C, CBA, C3H, C57BL, C57L, DBA, 101, and CFW. The results varied a great deal according to mouse strain used. Intravenous injection of high doses of M. marinum resulted in deaths after 28 days of 100% of strain A/He, and none of strain 101; 27 days after injection, the feet and noses of all strain CBA mice, but few of the C57BL, 101, or CFW mice, were involved. Injection of a small dose of M. marinum into the footpad produced visible disease in 5 days in all of the C57BL and 101 mice, but in not more than 60% of the A/He, DBA, and CFW mice; the average amount of swelling at 17 days varied from 4.40 mm in strain C57L to 0.92 in strain 101. After footpad injection of M. leprae, the average plateau harvests varied from 1.3 x 10⁷ acid-fast bacteria in strain CBA to 6.5 x 10⁵ in strain C57L. The infections in CBA mice extended from the site of inoculation throughout the foot. The temperature was measured rectally, in the footpad, and in the tail. Analysis of all the results revealed little correlation among the three types of infection. There was a strong negative correlation between the tail temperature and the death rate after intravenous injection of M. marinum, and a strong positive correlation between footpad temperature and plateau harvest of M. leprae.

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