Lethal Brucella Infections in White Mice Produced with the Aid of the Mucin Technic

Summary

B. melitensis and B. abortus did not produce lethal infections in mice even when 0.5 cc of broth cultures were injected intraabdominally. On the other hand lethal infections were produced if the broth cultures were administered together with 0.5 cc of a 10% mucin suspension. The LD₅₀ for B. melitensis was 0.2 cc, for 2 strains of B. abortus 0.35 cc, and for a third strain of B. abortus 0.2 cc. In most of the surviving animals chronic infections were noted, if the dissections were performed up to the 50th day after the onset of the infection.