Studies on the Relative Susceptibility of Young and of Full-Grown Rabbits to Intravenous Infection with Hemolytic Streptococci

[摘要] A single intravenous injection of varying amounts of strain N.Y.5 of Streptococcus pyogenes was given to young and to full-grown rabbits. Fourteen of 29 (48 per cent) full grown animals, and 26 of 32 (81 per cent) young rabbits survived the infection for at least one week.Bacteremia was found 5 hours after the intravenous injection. After 24 hours the blood-cultures were sterile or contained only small numbers of streptococci. Heart-blood cultures taken in rabbits that died within 7 days contained innumerable hemolytic streptococci.Arthritis occurred in the 26 young and in 12 of 14 full-grown animals that survived the infection. In young animals a greater number of joints was involved.There is evidence to explain the greater susceptibility of full-grown rabbits to intravenous injections of hemolytic streptococci by the assumption that this age-group had become sensitized to these microörganisms through previous contact with them or with their products.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）