Pathobiological relationships between Mycobacterium leprae and its primitive host

Newborn snakes were injected with 10(2)-10(4) live or heated Mycobacterium leprae. Death occurred in 5-6 weeks. On autopsy, the snakes injected with live microorganisms showed pathological changes and numerous acid-fast bacteria were found in some organs. Material was also transferred from an experimentally infected snake to a group of normal newborn snakes, causing their death in 3 weeks. Extracts in phosphate-buffered saline, prepared from the tissues of infected snakes, were found to react with anti-M. leprae and anti-M. lepraemurium rabbit antisera. No immunodiffusion reactions were elicited by extracts from the organs of control snakes.