Lethality of Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Staphylococci in Embryonated Eggs

Summary

Ten-day-old chick embryos are extremely susceptible to infection with pathogenic coagulase positive staphylococci and the LD₅₀ of the strains studied was less than 10 bacteria. More than 10⁴ coagulase negative staphylococci were necessary to produce a 50% fatality rate in 10-day-old chick embryos.

The author gratefully acknowledges the advice of Drs. George Gee Jackson and Mark H. Lepper and the technical assistance of La Verne Anderson.