A spectrum of immune responses and pathological conditions between certain animal species to experimental Mycobacterium bovis infection.
Guinea-pigs, rabbits, rats, ferrets and hedgehogs were infected with a recent field isolate of Mycobacterium bovis. The cell-mediated and antibody responses were studied up to 8 weeks after infection at which time the animals were killed and pathological, histological and bacteriological examinations were carried out. Guinea-pigs and rabbits produced an intense cell-mediated response and strong tissue reactions around the lesions. This appears, in part, to be responsible for the susceptibility of these animals to M. bovis. The strong cell-mediated response was also related to the small numbers of organisms in the tissues. Ferrets produced very little cell-mediated response and only minor tissue reactions. The lack of any cell-mediate response was related to the large numbers of organisms in the tissues which produced an acute disseminated disease. The antibody response produced by ferrets, rabbits and guinea-pigs was variable within an between the species and could not be related to numbers of organisms in the tissues. In rats and hedgehogs a specific cell-mediated and humoral response was difficult to detect but the growth of the organism was controlled by the host resulting in a persistent subclinical infection with no mortality.
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006364:Hedgehogs; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial