COMPARATIVE PATHOGENICITY OF MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM AND BATTEY BACILLI

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Abstract
The characteristics of M. avium recently isolated from naturally infected chickens were compared with those of Battey bacilli from 5 patients in the Southwest Florida Tuberculosis Hospital, who had pulmonary disease attributed to these organisms. Differences in vitro were limited to the ability of M. avium to grow at 45[degree] C, and to the presence of arylsulfatase activity in each of the Battey strains. Chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs were inoculated with 0.01 mg of each strain and survivors were held for a minimum of 378 days. In over-all responses to avian tuberculin and to purified protein derivative prepared from M. avium and from Battey bacilli, distinctions could be made between avian-infected and Battey-infected animals. Intravenous infection with M. avium resulted in progressive and fatal disease in chickens and rabbits. Chickens infected with Battey bacilli revealed no gross, microscopic, or bacteriologic evidence of infection. The histopathologic examination of the spleens of several rabbits infected with these organisms indicated a definite and identifying difference in the pathogenesis of Battey bacilli and M. avium. Other changes noted among Battey-infected rabbits included tendonitis, bursitis, and involvement of soft tissues of the feet and legs. With the exception of several guinea pigs with regional lymph node enlargement, none of these animals revealed gross, microscopic, or bacteriologic evidence of mycobacterial infection. This study provided no evidence that the Battey bacilli used were attenuated strains of M. avium.