An Epizootic of Pneumococcus Type 19 Infections in Guinea Pigs

Abstract

An outbreak of respiratory infections among guinea pigs occurring in the late winter and early spring of 1945 is described. Type 19 pneumococcus was identified as the organism responsible for the fatal lesions. The organism was found in the respiratory tract of other apparently healthy guinea pigs from widely separated localities in Mass. Similar results have been found in Germany, but never before under similar conditions in the U. S. Sulfadiazine appeared to control the infections, in part, but did not eliminate the carrier state.