Serological and bacteriological studies on the staphylococcal exfoliative skin disease in guinea pigs

A skin disease showing marked erythema and subsequent epidermal exfoliation has recently been observed in our breeding colony of guinea pigs. The distribution of staphylococcal antibodies and the frequency of Staphylococcus aureus isolation were studied in 5 guinea pig groups, three of which were in the clinical stages of the exfoliative skin disease, and two control groups. The mean titers of anti-alpha-toxin antibodies exhibited peak levels in the group of the middle clinical stage (titer of 24.0), when compared to those in the groups of the early (titer of 3.5) or the late clinical stages (titer of 4.1). The percentage of positive sera (titers greater than or equal to 5) for this antibody was also greater in the group of the middle clinical stage (100%) than in the groups of the early (55%) or the late clinical stages (64%). The agglutinating antibody was detected only in the groups of the early and the middle clinical stages. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 73% of the animals in the early stage, and from only 11% of those in the late stage.