Abstract
The isolation frequency of cultivated acid-fast organisms from nasal washings of leprosy patients was 90.0% by the method that has been reportedl1).
The present communication describes the experience whether the organisms produce virulence in experimental animals or not.
The cultivable organisms of Mycobacterium sp. I strain isolated from nasal washings of the patient with lepromatous leprosy were suspended in strile saline solution on the living condition. Then, the suspension was inoculated subcutaneously, intraperitoneally and into foot-pads of rabbits, guinea-pigs and mice.
The organisms did not produce progressive lesions in any partes of used experimental animals macro-and micro-scopically.
However, in case of inoculation into mice foot-pads, the acid-fast organisms similar to leprosy bacilli were observed in the inoculated sites, and these organisms seemed to multiply in numbers.
The organisms harvested from infected foot-pads of mice were tried to be cultivated onto the egg-yolk media, but there was no growth of acid-fast organisms.
