COLONIZATION AND ANTIBODY-RESPONSE IN MICE AND RATS EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH PASTEURELLACEAE FROM DIFFERENT RODENT SPECIES

Mice and rats were experimentally infected with Pasteurellaceae isolat ed from mice, rats, hamsters and gerbils. Mice and rats were most heav ily colonized by strains originally isolated from mice and rats respec tively, and to a lesser extent by Pasteurellaceae from hamsters and ge rbils. Colonization was generally accompanied by seroconversion. Gross pathology of the lungs was not observed. We conclude that Pasteurella ceae-free SPF mice and rats can be colonized by members of this bacter ial family present in other rodent species.