ABSTRACT
The objective of the present work was to verify if a stressing condition (pregnancy, birthing and lactation) implicates in the reactivation of the enteric lesion caused by the oral inoculation of Mycobacterium avium in hamster and its return to shed the bacteria by feces. Twenty-four female hamsters were orally inoculated with Mycobacterium avium (2.0 mg/animal). At 45 opportunities - from the 1st to the 229th day after the inoculation - a fecal sample of each animal was collected for bacteriological procedures. At day 183 post-inoculation, 10 male hamsters were introduced in the cages of 10 females for mating. From these 10 matings, 7 resulted in birth. The average period of pregnancy was 17 days and between birth and weaning was 30 days. It was observed that the simulated stressing situation pregnancy, birthing and lactation did not reactivate the intestinal lesions. The results obtained with the use of the hamster-Mycobacterium avium biological model are discussed, aiming at the control of mycobacteriosis in swine.
KEY WORDS:
Mycobacterium avium; hamster; experimental infection.
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