[An epizootic Staphylococcus infection in a nude mouse colony].
An epizootic of Staphylococcus infection causing abscesses was encountered in a small-scale breeding colony of nude mice of BALB/c background. The incidence of abscess was sporadic and mostly nude (nu/nu) mice aged over 3 months were affected. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the face, oral cavity, and feces of almost all nu/nu and heterozygous (nu/+) mice in the colony. After a prolonged time period, up to 10 to 14 months of age, almost all the S. aureus-carrying nu/nu mice produced abscesses and eventually died. Athymicity of the host seemed to be a prerequisite for the abscess formation since nu/+ mice were spared from the lesions. Also, transfer of immunocompetent spleen cells cured the abscesses of the affected nude mice.
Sano
R
R
Department of Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Public Health, Tokyo, Japan.
Yamamoto
S
S
Kamimura
H
H
Kimura
M
M
Ueda
K
K
Shimizu
A
A
Kawano
J
J
Kimura
S
S
D000038:Abscess / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude / Q000382:microbiology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification