Intranasal and Aerosol Exposure of Gerbils to 'Mycoplasma Pneumoniae'

Mycoplasma pneumoniae was administered to Mongolian gerbils by intranasal instillation or by exposure to small-particle aerosols (2 micrometers). From 7 - 14 days after exposure, approximately 5 log of mycoplasma were recovered from the lungs of the majority of exposed gerbils. Lung lesions were minimal in the infected animals and not distinguishable from those of control animals administered sterile broth medium. Rechallenge of gerbils 30 days after an initial infection did not result in an increase of pulmonary pathology over that of control animals. Serum cholesterol levels and peripheral blood values were not altered in either initially infected or reinfected gerbils.