Intended for healthcare professionals

Preliminary Communications

Human Leprosy in Normal Mice

Br Med J 1969; 3 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.3.5664.216 (Published 26 July 1969) Cite this as: Br Med J 1969;3:216
  1. R. J. W. Rees,
  2. A. G. M. Weddell,
  3. J. M. H. Pearson

    Abstract

    It has now been shown that normal mice can be used as models for studying the early stages in the development of leprosy. Inoculation into the foot pads of mice of as few as 104 leprosy bacilli leads to infections which spread to distant sites via the blood stream and after two or more years give rise to granulomata and neural damage at the sites of inoculation. Where the tissue response had fully developed it reproduced exactly the histological features of human leprosy in the borderline range.

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