Behaviour of a South Indian varient of M. tuberculosis during eight years of animal passage

Challu, Vijay K.; Chandrasekaran, Sujatha; Mahdev, B.; Jones, B. and Rajalakshmi, R. (1993) Behaviour of a South Indian varient of M. tuberculosis during eight years of animal passage. Indian Journal of Tuberculosis, 40. pp. 191-194.

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Abstract

A south Indian variant of M. tuberculosis, found to be less virulent in albino guinea pigs compared with known highly virulent strains, was isolated in a high proportion of pulmonary tuberculosis patients living in and around Bangalore. Whether this character of the tubercle bacilli remained fixed or altered over a period of time was studied during a serial passage in guinea pigs over a period of eight years. Ten cultures of M. tuberculosis of known low virulence were injected intramuscularly in a group of animals and the extent of their disease was assessed at the time of post mortem examination. Tubercle bacilli recovered from the spleen of infected guinea pigs were injected into another group of animals, and each time the virulence was estimated. The findings revealed that the south Indian variant of M. tuberculosis maintained its "low virulent" character during the 20-21 serial animal passage over the period of eight years.

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