Experimental campylobacter jejuni infection of scid mice

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni was inoculated orally to C.B-17 scid/scid (severe combined immunodeficient) and C.B—17 immunocompetent mice. Groups of mice from each strain were pretreated with enrofloxacin in an attempt to increase colonisation. All mice were heavily colonised but neither clinical signs of illness nor histological lesions were observed. Results from our experiment indicate that specific humoral and cellular immunity are not directly involved in the protection against C. jejuni, since said mice were not more sensitive to the infection than C.B-17 rnice. Animals, treated as well as untreated with antibiotic, showed the same colonisation pattern which suggests that normal flora does not hamper establishing of this bacterium in the intestine. On the other hand this study shows that both C.B~l7 and scid mice may become inapparent carriers of C. jejuni.