Comparative experimental study reveals prolonged Coxiella burnetii infection in athymic mice, indicating that thymus-derived immunity is required for clearing Q fever.
Key Points
To determine the impact of congenital T-cell deficiency on susceptibility to aerosolized Coxiella burnetii infection and subsequent bacterial clearance.
Exposed congenitally athymic nude (nu/nu) mice and phenotypically normal euthymic (nu/+) littermate controls to small-particle aerosols of Coxiella burnetii.
Monitored systemic infection parameters, including rickettsemia, splenic bacterial viability, and serological conversion, over a 60-day observation period.
Both athymic and euthymic mice established infection following aerosol challenge, demonstrating rickettsemia, viable splenic rickettsiae, and seroconversion.
Euthymic control mice cleared rickettsiae from the peripheral blood and spleen within 14 days post-infection.
Athymic mice failed to resolve the infection, with viable rickettsiae isolated from blood and splenic tissue through day 60.