SYSTEMIC DISSEMINATION OF CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE FOLLOWING INTRANASAL INOCULATION IN MICE

Although Chlamydia pneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen, there is incr easing evidence of involvement of the organisms in anatomic sites othe r than the respiratory tract. A mouse model was used to study dissemin ation of organisms following intranasal, intravenous, and subcutaneous inoculation with C. pneumoniae. After inoculation by any of the three routes, the organism was isolated consistently from lungs and spleen. It was also detected in peritoneal macrophages after intranasal and i ntravenous inoculation. The ease with which the organism was dissemina ted in the mouse model raises the question of whether similar spread f rom the respiratory tract occurs in human C. pneumoniae infection.