Experimental pathogenicity and mortality in ligated ileal loop studies of the newly reported halophilic lactose-positive Vibrio sp.

Abstract

Laboratory animals were challenged subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, and intravenously with the halophilic lactose-positive Vibrio. Intraperitoneal inocula of 108 organisms proved to be rapidly lethal in mice, rats, and hamsters. The 50% lethal dose in ICR strain mice was estimated to be 8 x 105 live cells, injected intraperitoneally or subcutaneously. Subcutaneous inocula in mice resulted in severe local infections, characterized by gross edema, and for those animals surviving longer than 48 h, tissue necrosis. Intravenous, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous injections of 108 cells in mice resulted in death within 3 to 6 h. These animals rapidly developed Vibrio bacteremia after injections. V. parahaemolyticus, studied for comparative purposes, produced no morbidity or mortality when injected subcutaneously. Injections of live lactose-positive Vibrio into ligated ileal loops in rats and rabbits consistently proved to be lethal with a high-density bacteremia resulting.