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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Characterizing Salmonella Typhimurium-induced Septic Peritonitis in Mice
Published on: July 29, 2022
CONTRIBUTION TO THE MANNER OF SPREAD OF MOUSE TYPHOID INFECTION
1Laboratories of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.
Abstract:
The experiments reported in this paper and in the preceding one indicate that with a given susceptible mouse population and a certain strain of mouse typhoid bacilli the sporadic and epidemic prevalences of mouse typhoid are determined by the spacial and quantitative distribution of the bacilli. Under circumstances in which the entire mouse population is so exposed as to be in direct contact with an infecting dose of the mouse typhoid bacillus, the nature of the resulting mortality curve depends upon the quality of susceptibility of the individuals composing the population.
Insights
Mouse typhoid prevalence depends on how mouse typhoid bacilli are distributed. Individual mouse susceptibility influences mortality rates when the entire population is exposed to infection.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Epidemiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Mouse typhoid, caused by Salmonella Typhimurium, is a significant disease in mouse populations.
- Understanding the factors influencing disease dynamics is crucial for disease control and research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the distribution of mouse typhoid bacilli and disease prevalence.
- To determine how individual host susceptibility affects mortality patterns in a population.
Main Methods:
- Experimental inoculation of susceptible mouse populations with varying spatial and quantitative distributions of Salmonella Typhimurium.
- Observation and analysis of disease progression and mortality curves.
Main Results:
- The spatial and quantitative distribution of Salmonella Typhimurium directly determines the sporadic and epidemic prevalences of mouse typhoid.
- When the entire mouse population is exposed to an infectious dose, individual susceptibility dictates the mortality curve.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial distribution is a key factor in controlling mouse typhoid outbreaks.
- Host susceptibility plays a critical role in shaping disease outcomes at the population level.
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