EFFECTS OF CORTISONE ON EXPERIMENTAL MURINE TYPHUS II

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Abstract
The comparative susceptibility of the mouse, cotton rat, hamster, and guinea pig to murine typhus infections and the effect of cortisone on their susceptibility was studied. The susceptibility measured by the LD50 doses for these animals shows the mouse to be the most susceptible followed by the cotton rat. No deaths occurred in the guinea pigs or hamsters. However, the guinea pig was more sensitive in the production of the scrotal reaction. Considering the relative susceptibility to typhus infection after cortisone treatment, the hamster is the most susceptible to fatal infections followed by the mouse and cotton rat. Cortisone treatment did not bring about fatal infections in the guinea pig. Cortisone treatment was shown to alter the course of infection in the hamster and guinea pig. The scrotal reaction was completely suppressed in the hamster, and suppression in the guinea pig was related to the strength of the infective dose, complete suppression occurring when the infective dose was small. The relation of cortisone interference with the inflammatory reaction and the scrotal reaction in the guinea pig is demonstrated with trypan blue. The presence of a heat-stable hemagglutination inhibition antigen was shown to be present in all animals dying of typhus infections.