title: Virulence of two strains of Cowdria ruminantium in mice and their use to predict drug activity against heartwater.
abstract: A study was made of the infectivity of two mouse-adapted strains of Cowdria ruminantium in mice. The Kwanyanga strain was most virulent in Balb/C mice which died nine days after infection with homogenate of liver from infected mice. CD-1 mice were least susceptible of six strains tested. The du Plessis strain of C. ruminantium was equally virulent in all six mouse strains. The du Plessis strain in CD-1 mice was used as the basis of a drug screen to detect activity against heartwater (C. ruminantium infection) and was highly predictive when active compounds were tested in sheep infected with the Ball 3 strain of C. ruminantium.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006357:Heartwater Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D007095:Imidocarb / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010118:Oxytetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012287:Rickettsiaceae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D013882:Thiosemicarbazones / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D013882:Thiosemicarbazones; D007095:Imidocarb; D010118:Oxytetracycline