INFLUENCE OF ROUTE OF INFECTION AND OTHER FACTORS ON GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION OFLISTERIA MONOCYTOGENESIN ORGANS OF MICE

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Abstract
Silverman, SidneyJ. (U.S. Army Biological Laboratories, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.),Lynn P. Elwell, and James F. Drawdy. Influence of route of infection and other factors on growth and distribution ofListeria monocytogenesin organs of mice. J. Bacteriol.86:355–362. 1963.—The growth ofListeria monocytogenesin the lungs, liver, spleen, brain, and blood of mice was observed after infection by the respiratory, intravenous, and intraperitoneal routes. The lungs of mice exposed toListeriaaerosols contained about 106infected cells per ml within 24 hr, and the number of organisms remained high for at least 9 days. After exposure by the other two routes, fewer organisms appeared in the lungs. The colony counts of organisms in spleen and liver homogenates were similar regardless of the route. Organisms were found sporadically in the brain and blood. When a cell extract ofListeriawas injected simultaneously with the organisms, greater numbers ofListeriawere found in spleen and liver than when the bacteria were injected alone. On the other hand, the BCG strain ofMycobacterium tuberculosisenhanced the resistance of the mice, as shown by the recovery of fewer organisms from tissues when compared with tissues from mice receivingL. monocytogenesalone. Prior administration of BCG also reversed the effect of theListeriaextract. Mice (5 to 6 weeks old) born ofListeria-infected mothers were infected with the homologous organism by the intraperitoneal route. Fewer organisms were recovered and the gross pathology was less extensive than in infected progeny of healthy females. However, there was no difference in thelt50(time to death for 50% of the animals) between the two groups. In a similar experiment, using 7- to 8-week-old mice born of infected and healthy mothers, there was no difference in the bacterial counts, gross pathology, orlt50between the two groups.