ENTEROCECOCOLITIS ASSOCIATED WITH ESCHERICHIA-COLI AND CAMPYLOBACTER-LIKE ORGANISMS IN A HAMSTER (MESOCRICETUS-AURATUS) COLONY

Sporadic diarrhea and weight loss were observed in a breeding colony o f Syrian hamsters during a 2-year period. Thirteen adult hamsters with diarrhea, anorexia, and weight loss were examined. Histologic le lesi ons consisted of diffuse nonsuppurative enterocecocolitis and multifoc al epithelial proliferation in the cecum and colon. Goblet cell hyperp lasia was extensive in the colonic mucosa of many hamsters. The hamste rs in this colony had not been treated with antibiotics nor was Clostr idium difficile isolated from any of the hamsters. In contrast to typi cal proliferative ileitis in hamsters, most hamsters involved in this outbreak were mature adults rather than weanlings, and lesions were pr edominantly inflammatory rather than proliferative and involved small intestine, cecum, and colon rather than ileum. The isolation of beta-h emolytic Escherichia coli and demonstration of Campylobacter-like orga nisms by transmission electron microscopy and Warthin-Starry staining suggest that these two agents were involved in the pathogenesis of thi s disease. Further studies, however, are needed to investigate the pat hogenesis of this enteric syndrome in hamsters.