The relationship between the occurrence of mortality and the development of active immunity in the young rat

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Killed Brucella abortus was injected into young rats. Specific agglutinins were first detected at 10 days of age in all groups of rats injected between birth and 4 days and were present in all 14-day-old rats. Rats receiving injections at 16 days or later produced agglutinins as quickly as adults, although the titres present after comparable periods increased rapidly with the age at injection until 1 month of age, and more slowly afterwards. The ages during which agglutinins first appear in the suckling rat correspond closely to those during which there is a sharp decline in mortality, suggesting that the active immune response is of protective value even during the period of active absorption of maternal globulin.