COLONIZATION ABILITY AND INTESTINAL PATHOLOGY OF RABBITS ORALLY FED WITH VIBRIO-CHOLERAE O139 BENGAL

The colonization ability of a representative epidemic strain of V. cho lerae 0139 Bengal was studied in the oral rabbit colonization model an d the nature of colonization in the ileal and jejunal tissues was exam ined ultrastructurally. Results of the colonization study and ileal lo op assay indicated that the strain proliferates and colonizes the smal l intestine of the rabbit mucosal surface. Further, the electronmicros copic study revealed the disruptive effect of the strain on the apical membrane of the epithelial cells. The results of this study suggested that apart from colonization, invasion of the bacteria was important in the pathogenesis of V. cholerae 0139 mediated infections.