Studies on the pathogenicity ofAcholeplasma axanthumin swine

Abstract

SUMMARYAcholeplasma axanthumsp. was isolated from the lung of swine with catarrhal pneumonia. Clinical symptoms of respiratory disease, gross and histological lesions of pneumonia, as well as serological response were produced by intranasal inoculation of ‘miniature pigs’ with the supernatant of lung suspension containingAcholeplasma axanthumand by a 48 hr. broth culture of the strain.A similar picture of disease was observed in animals held in contact with the animals inoculated with untreated lung suspension.Acholeplasma axanthumwas isolated from the nasal cavity, lung and peribronchial lymph nodes 7–41 days after inoculation. No lesions were observed after inoculation of pigs with the supernatant of lung suspension pretreated with oxytetracycline or chloroform, and no successful isolation ofAcholeplasma axanthumcould be achieved after this treatment.