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Updated: Sep 2, 2026
Chronic Salmonella Infected Mouse Model
Published on: May 31, 2010
SIGNIFICANCE OF SALMONELLAE ISOLATED FROM APPARENTLY HEALTHY MICE
Abstract:
Morello, Josephine A. (Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.), Teresa A. DiGenio, and Edgar E. Baker. Significance of salmonellae isolated from apparently healthy mice. J. Bacteriol. 89:1460-1464. 1965.-Three species of Salmonella were isolated from three groups of apparently healthy laboratory mice. The host-parasite relationship of one of these, a mutant S. typhimurium (lacks I and i antigens), was studied to determine the significance of these pathogens. Mice were fed undiluted broth cultures, and the infection was followed by means of fecal and organ cultures and a hemolytic serological test. Tissue invasion occurred during the early stages of the disease, but, within 1 week, the organism usually was localized in the intestinal tract. After 1 month, most of the mice had eliminated the organism completely. Antibody response to this organism was generally variable. Conditions of stress, including heat, cold, and cortisone administration, did not precipitate more severe disease in infected animals. The infection was maintained for longer periods of time in animals housed in groups than in those in individual cages. The presence of such salmonellae in laboratory animals appears to be of limited significance.
Insights
Salmonella species were found in healthy mice, but infection typically resolved within a month. The presence of these Salmonella pathogens in lab animals appears to be of limited significance.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Veterinary Science
Background:
- Salmonella species can be present in apparently healthy laboratory mice.
- Understanding the significance of these infections is crucial for animal research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the host-parasite relationship of a mutant Salmonella typhimurium in mice.
- To determine the significance of Salmonella isolates from apparently healthy laboratory animals.
Main Methods:
- Mice were experimentally infected with a mutant Salmonella typhimurium.
- Infection was monitored using fecal and organ cultures.
- A hemolytic serological test was employed to assess antibody response.
Main Results:
- Salmonella typhimurium initially invaded tissues but localized to the intestinal tract within a week.
- Most mice cleared the infection completely within one month.
- Antibody response was variable, and stress conditions did not worsen the disease.
- Group housing prolonged infection duration compared to individual housing.
Conclusions:
- Salmonella infections in apparently healthy mice are generally self-limiting.
- The presence of these Salmonella serotypes in laboratory animals has limited significance for research.
- Further research may be needed to understand long-term carrier states or specific host-pathogen interactions.
