Primary Isolation of Donovania granulomatis by Chick Brain Inoculation, and Induction of Cerebral Miliary Granulomata

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Abstract
Grossly contaminated material from 2 human cases of granuloma inguinale was ground, suspended in saline, and inoculated intracerebrally into day-old chicks. After 2 weeks, contaminants had disappeared, but organisms morphologically resembling D. granulomatis persisted on smear. When portions of brains so inoculated were ground, suspended in saline, and inoculated into the yolk of 5-day-old developing chick embryos, D. granulomatis grew in pure culture in this and in succeeding egg yolk passages. In these and additional series of chicks, inoculated with fresh material and with yolk sac cultures from a 3d human case of granuloma inguinale, brains were examined at from 2 to 36 weeks. Smears always showed organisms morphologically resembling D. granulomatis. Of 38 brains examined histologically, 9 showed miliary granulomata, occurring at from 10 to 27 weeks. Yolk sac cultures were made from 3 of these, and the organism was carried for several passages, although organisms could not be demonstrated histo logically. Granulomata were not reproduced by sterile yolk in a control series.