TABLE 1.
COMPARING FEATURES OF COMMON ANIMAL MODELS OF TUBERCULOSIS
|
Histopathology |
Relative Susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis |
Immunologic Reagents Available |
Laboratory Space Requirements and Cost |
Approximates Human Latent Tuberculosis Infection |
Most Common Experimental Uses |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model |
Necrosis |
Caseation |
Cavitation |
|||||||
| Mouse | Minimal; can depend on immune status | Usually not | No | Low | Extensive | Relatively small | No; Cornell Model may do so | Tuberculosis immunology; drug efficacy | ||
| Rabbit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Very low (Mycobacterium bovis typically used) | Moderate | Relatively large | No | Tuberculosis pathogenesis | ||
| Guinea Pig | Yes | Yes | Infrequent | Very high | Relatively few | Moderate | No | Vaccine efficacy; airborne transmission | ||
| Nonhuman primate |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
High |
Extensive |
Large |
Yes |
Tuberculosis pathogenesis; tuberculosis and retroviral immunodeficiency |
||