SUSCEPTIBILITY OF WILD RODENTS TO EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION WITH COXIELLA BURNETII.

Abstract

SummaryExperimental Coxiella burnetii infection in deer mice, desert wood rats, Montane meadow mice, Ord kangaroo rats, pinyon mice, and laboratory white mice was studied, employing three criteria: 28-day Phase II complement fixing antibody responses, splenomegaly, and tissue infection. Infection in guinea pigs was determined by fever response in addition to the above. All criteria gave similar ID50 values with the exception of splenomegaly, which was absent in some animal species.All tested animals were shown to be readily susceptible to intraperitoneal Q fever infection, the laboratory animals being more susceptible than the wild rodents. Disease manifestations were mild in all animals.