A rabbit model of non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteremia

Aruna Panda; Ivan Tatarov; Billie Jo Masek; Justin Hardick; Annabelle Crusan; Teresa Wakefield; Karen Carroll; Samuel Yang; Yu-Hsiang Hsieh; Michael M Lipsky; Charles G McLeod; Myron M Levine; Richard E Rothman; Charlotte A Gaydos; Louis J DeTolla

doi:10.1016/j.cimid.2014.05.004

A rabbit model of non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteremia

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2014 Sep;37(4):211-20. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2014.05.004. Epub 2014 Jul 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Program of Comparative Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States. Electronic address: apanda@vetmed.umaryland.edu.
² Program of Comparative Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
³ Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Center for Vaccine Development, Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Pediatrics, Departments of Pediatrics, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁸ Program of Comparative Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.

Abstract

Bacteremia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. In this study, we focused on the development of an animal model of bacteremia induced by non-typhoidal Salmonella. New Zealand White rabbits were inoculated with a human isolate of non-typhoidal Salmonella strain CVD J73 via the intra-peritoneal route. Blood samples were collected at specific time points and at euthanasia from infected rabbits. Additionally, tissue samples from the heart, lungs, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys were obtained at euthanasia. All experimentally infected rabbits displayed clinical signs of disease (fever, dehydration, weight loss and lethargy). Tissues collected at necropsy from the animals exhibited histopathological changes indicative of bacteremia. Non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteria were detected in the blood and tissue samples of infected rabbits by microbiological culture and real-time PCR assays. The development of this animal model of bacteremia could prove to be a useful tool for studying how non-typhoidal Salmonella infections disseminate and spread in humans.

Keywords: Bacteremia; Non-typhoidal Salmonella infections; Rabbit model.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteremia*
Body Temperature
Body Weight
Disease Models, Animal
Female
Genotyping Techniques
Humans
Ileum / microbiology
Ileum / pathology
Liver / microbiology
Liver / pathology
Rabbits
Salmonella Infections, Animal / microbiology*
Salmonella Infections, Animal / pathology
Salmonella* / classification
Salmonella* / genetics
Serotyping
Time Factors

Grants and funding

U54 AI057168/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States