A NEW PATHOGENIC LEPTOSPIRA , NOT READILY CULTIVATED

Abstract

Alexander, Aaron D. (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.), Herbert G. Stoenner, Garnett E. Wood, and Robert J. Byrne . A new pathogenic Leptospira , not readily cultivated. J. Bacteriol. 83: 754–760. 1962.—A pathogenic Leptospira was isolated from water of the Grand River, (S.D.) that differed significantly from other known leptospirae in that it could not be cultivated in conventional leptospiral media. Growth was promoted in Fletcher's medium modified to contain 20% rabbit serum. The isolate, after several serial passages, was lethal for hamsters. It could not be adapted to grow in the chick embryo. Guinea pigs and calves inoculated with the isolate developed febrile and antibody responses but showed no other overt signs of disease. The strain was identified on the basis of cross-agglutination and agglutinin-adsorption tests as a new subserotype of Leptospira naam and was therefore designated as L. naam , subserotype dakotii .