Alterações clínicas em cobaias ( Cavia porcellus ) inoculados experimentalmente com isolados de campo de Burkholderia mallei de eqüídeos com mormo (Clinical alterations in gineapigs (Cavia porcellus) experimentally inoculated with field samples of Bhurkholderia mallei from glanders positive equine)

The aim was to study the clinical, haematological and biochemical aspects of guinea pigs experimentally infected with Bhurkholderia mallei. Sixty male guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) were equitable distributed in six groups of 10 animals. Five groups were inoculated with different field samples of B. mallei isolated from purulent discharge of skin nodules of equines with glanders and a control group inoculated with saline sterile solution. The clinical study was daily made writing down data such as body temperature, the general clinical aspect of the animal, weight loss, the increase of volume and consistency of testicles. To the haematological and biochemical studies two animals of each group were used each 48 hours, in a total of ten animals per observation time. The Strauss reaction was positive 48 hours after the inoculation and the increasing of body temperature, septicemia signs and lesions of different intensity in organs of the animals in all groups, indicating possible variation in the virulence of the inoculated field samples and in the response of each animal to the infection. It is concluded that the guinea pigs consist of an effective model to experimentally reproduce glanders and can be used in research involving the bacteria as well as in the diagnosis of the disease.