Susceptibility of wild mammals to infection with Naegleria fowleri.
Animals of 4 families of small wild mammals were live-trapped and inoculated intranasally with Naegleria fowleri to determine patterns of susceptibility. Of the 7 species of animals examined, only rodents were susceptible to N. fowleri. Susceptible animals were eastern gray squirrel, hispid cotton rat, muskrat, and house mouse. Mammals that were not susceptible at a dose of 10(6) were opossum, raccoon, and eastern cottontail rabbit. Perhaps rodents and humans share a common anatomical or physiological determinant that makes them susceptible to infection with N. fowleri.
John
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Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Oklahoma State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tulsa 74107.
Hoppe
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KL
D000562:Amebiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008297:Male; D008322:Mammals / Q000469:parasitology*; D009253:Naegleria / Q000276:immunology*; D009893:Opossums / Q000469:parasitology; D011817:Rabbits / Q000469:parasitology; D011821:Raccoons / Q000469:parasitology; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D012377:Rodentia / Q000469:parasitology; D013045:Species Specificity