Disseminated Experimental South American Blastomycosis of the Guinea Pig;

Abstract

Inoculation in guinea pigs of a standardized suspension of culture of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis by heart puncture produces disseminated South American blastomycosis; lung, testes, eyes and skin being the sites more deeply affected by the parasite. A certain degree of adaptation of the fungus to the experimental animal and an increased virulence was noticed when a culture obtained after five serial passages to the guinea pig testes, with re-isolation of the fungus, was used. An immunological study of the experimental animal was also done, in an attempt to correlate it with the pathological findings.