Gaertner Group Bacilli in Rats and Mice

Abstract

Forty-one rats examined—internal organs and intestinal contents—for presence of Gaertner group bacilli. Bacilli identical with B. enteritidis isolated from five rats in each case from the spleen (in two from liver also). No members of this group isolated from the intestinal contents.Several of the rat sera were capable of agglutinating Gaertner group bacilli in high dilution. These facts point to the view that old infection with Gaertner group bacilli had taken place.The general result of the investigation is in favour of the view that while rats are lible to be infected with Gaertner group bailli and to be ill in consequence these bailli are not natural intestnal inhabitants. If this be accepted it may be stated that this group of bacilli are not natural intestinal inhabitants, of any known animal species.Rats infected with Gaertner group bacilli may serve as a means of infecting meat with these bacilli and may possibly in this way be a cause of meat poisoning outbreaks.