TABLE 1.
Virulence of E. faecalis variants administered into the left ventricles of rabbitsa
| Test organism (phenotype) | No. of animals with clinical signs/no. evaluated | No. dead/no. evaluated (P)b |
|---|---|---|
| INY3000(pWM401) (AS− EBS−) | 0/6 | 0/6 |
| OG1SSp(pWM401) (AS− EBS+) | 6/6c | 1/6 (NSd) |
| INY3000(pINY 1801) (AS+ EBS−) | 3/3c | 0/3 (NS) |
| OG1SSp (pINY1801) (AS+ EBS+) | 9/9 | 9/9e (0.0002) |
American Dutch belted rabbits (1 to 2 kg) were injected intracardially with 1 ml (approximately 108 CFU) of test organism in their left ventricles. Animals were monitored for 2 days for signs of illness and death.
P values were determined by Fisher’s exact probability test in comparison to the number of deaths in the AS− EBS− group.
Animals developed significant fevers (>40°C), diarrhea, and clear amber urine and had mottled faces. Upon examination of tissues, all animals had marked pyogenic infection of the pericardial sac. Other tissues appeared to be grossly normal.
NS, not significant.
Animals developed significant fevers (>40°C), diarrhea, and clear amber urine and had mottled faces. Upon autopsy, all of these animals showed extensive destruction of the pericardial sac and lungs. There was no sign of inflammation in any rabbit. One animal underwent premature euthanasia, as required by the University Animal Care Committee, because it was unresponsive to external stimuli and unable to right itself.