Transfer of Gonococcal Urethritis From Man to Chimpanzee: An Animal Model for Gonorrhea

Urethral exudate from human males with gonococcal urethritis was transferred to the urethras of three male chimpanzees. The chimpanzees developed gonococcal urethritis, as demonstrated by the presence of a purulent urethral exudate containing gram-negative intracellular diplococci and the recovery of Neisseria gonorrhoeae on bacteriological culture media. The gonococcal urethritis was then transferred from chimpanzee to chimpanzee. One chimpanzee developed gonococcal conjunctivitis, presumably by auto-inoculation. All animals developed complement-fixing antibodies to N gonorrhoeae in their sera. It appears, therefore, that an animal model of gonococcal urethritis has been established.