The relative natural resistance of rats and mice to experimental pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

1. Wistar-albino rats showed no significant difference from albino mice in their response to pulmonary tuberculosis. This conclusion was reached after a detailed comparison of bacillary multiplication, lung involvement, death rates and the rate of conversion to the immune state as determined by footpad reaction to tuberculin in the two species.2. These findings support the theory that the key to species differences in resistance to tuberculosis is the rate of onset of acquired immunity and it is therefore unrelated to natural resistance.