lnvasive aspergillasis - n rabbit model

An invasive nspergillosis mtldel in rabbits was attempted using 3 concenuatiws of A. funligarw uonidia. Conidia ancenlra~ions af 1 X 106, 1 x 10' and I x 1 P wcre inoculated inlravenouslp into raljbits. The severiry oC inreclion was directly proporlional to the inoculum size of hc conidia. A ~pu~i l l1rs~1irn igat11~ W as isolaled from Iive-rs, kidneys, spleens, hcarts and lungs of infwtcd rabbits at a rdte of 82%, 75%: 57%. 54% and 32% respectively. Culmre.,p oi ulil~e specimens rahl by hladdcr cap were positive for A. JLn!i~nlus in 30%: <)of thc rabbits tes~ed. Blood cultures using he Baciec Fungal Sysrcin (Bccton Dickirlson Corp., USA) failed to isolare A , fumigcrtw in 20 rabbits wilh blopc;y-provcn invasive apergillosis. Aclive infection W i tli high fungal tissuc burden occurred between 2-4 days after infection in rabbits inoculated with 1 x I O 7 conidiu.