Inoculation of M. leprae into newborn golden hamster

Abstract

Various amounts of human leprosy bacilli were inoculated subcutaneously or intraperitoneally into 205 (175 inoculated with leprosy bacilli and 30 with heat-killed bacilli as controls) newborn golden hamsters, within 24 hours after birth. All inoculated hamsters did not show any mycobacterial lesions, both macroscopically and microscopically.