Isolation of Pathogenic Fungi from Experimentally Inoculated Guinea Pigs

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Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine the extent of sensitization produced in albino guinea pigs by intraperit. injn. of yeast phase suspensions of Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis and Candida albicans in sublethal doses and the frequency of isolation of the fungi in the presence or absence of generalized infection. Of 80 guinea pigs inoculated with H. capsulatum, 3 developed an apparent generalized infection. None of the 3 was skin sensitive. Histoplasma was recovered from the lungs of one animal and from the spleens of 2. Of the 65 animals that survived 2-9 months, all were sensitive to histoplasmin and the fungi were isolated from the spleens of 39. 83 guinea pigs were inoculated with B. dermatitidis: 17 developed an infection; 8 of these were skin sensitive to blastomycin; 50 animals which had no apparent infection were all skin sensitive. Blastomyces was isolated from 30. 35 guinea pigs were inoculated with C. albicans. None developed a generalized infection. 23 of 24 sacrificed animals were skin sensitive to an autoclaved filtrate antigen. Spleen cultures were negative from 23. There was no correlation between size of infecting doses of the three fungi and production of generalized infection. Small doses were as effective as larger doses in developing skin sensitization.