Infection of Mice with G Variants (Micro-Colonies) of Brucella abortus.

Abstract

Summary

The foregoing data show that pure cultures of micro-colonies can be isolated readily from smooth strains of Br. abortus. These G cultures can be maintained for several generations if subcultures are incubated aerobically. When fresh transplants are incubated in an atmosphere of 10% CO₂ reversion to the large colonial form occurs. Mice can also be easily infected with G colonies and the small forms can be recovered from the tissues, though the infection is of low pathogenicity and of relatively brief duration. The practical significance of these observations in animal and in human brucellosis under natural conditions cannot be ascertained at this time. Huddleson and Baltzer (2) did report the presence of G colonies of Br. abortus in a culture of stomach contents of an aborted bovine fetus, and Hall and Spink(1) isolated Br. abortus G colonies from a human patient. On several occasions we observed the presence of small colonies in cultures of Br. melitensis isolated from tissues of mice. It is suggested that a more intensive study should be made of fluids and tissues of animals and man for presence of small colonial forms of brucellae.