Fever and survival in the rat

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Abstract
To study the effect of fever on infectious discase in a mammal, rats, partially restrained by an antirotatory device and with chronically implanted preoptic thermodes, were injected withSalmonella enteritidis and, in some of them, the hypothalamus was then continuously cooled to enhance the febrile response. All animals developed a fever that peaked 2 days after the infection, reaching 40.9±0.2 (SD) °C in the nine hypothalamic cooled and only 39.8±0.4°C in the 13 control animals (PP=0.0006). When the hypothalamus was continuously cooled in five uninfected animals, rectal temperature increased to 40.9±0.3°C but 24 h later it had decreased to 39.6±0.3 (PS. enteritidis and that this effect could be mediated by the high body temperature or by the concomitant metabolic and endocrine responses thus induced.