Individual evolution of digestive tract colonization of holoxenic mice by Candida albicans

Oral administration of various concentrations of Candida albicans to 6-day-old mice established colonization of the digestive tract without mortality. After being weaned (day 21), the development of colonization was studied in a group of mice by daily counting of the number of CFU contained in the feces of each animal. Two features concerning the development of colonization were noted. The course of colonization in individual mice was highly erratic and lead to either transitory or sometimes long-lasting colonization. These results show the importance of a dynamic study of colonization, a condition necessary for any experimental study.