Studies on certain biological characteristics of Malleomyces mallei and Malleomyces pseudomallei; morphology, cultivation, viability, and isolation from contaminated specimens.

The etiological agent of glanders, or farcy, was first isolated in pure culture by Loeffler and Schutz in 1892. The genus Malleomyces includes only two speciesMalleomyces mallei and Malleomyces pseudomalci (Bergey et al., 1939). Very few studies have been conducted with M. mallei in the last 25 years since, by the destruction of infected animals detected through mailein skin tests and serum complement fixation tests, the disease has been almost eradicated in most civilized countries from its natural equine hosts. M. pseudomalli (B. whitmori) was identified by Whitmore (1912) as the etiological agent of melioidosis, a disease of man similar to glanders. The wild rat of southeastern Asia is reported to be the natural host, but natural infection has been found in rats, rabbits, cats, and dogs (Stanton and Fletcher, 1932). The purpose of this paper is to present studies on morphology, cultivation, viability, disinfection, and isolation of the organisms from contaminated specimens. 3tudies on virulence and animal susceptibility are reported in the succeeding paper. Reports of studies on comparative serological reactions, chemotherapy, chemical fractions, pathological changes in infected animals, and six human cases of glanders will be reported elsewhere. Eight strains of M. mallei and two strains of M. pseudomallei were used in the studies reported. The source, date of isolation, and reported virulence of each strain are given in table 1.