Invertebrate Model Mirrors the Pathogenic Potential of within the Natural Host.

Most mycoplasmal infections result in chronic, clinically silent disease. In direct contrast, elicits a fulminant, multisystem disease in the natural host, (American alligator). The goals of the study were to better understand the disease in the natural host and to determine if the invertebrate model could serve as a surrogate alternate host. The survival of alligators infected intratracheally was dose dependent (=0.0003), ranging from no mortality (10 CFU) to 100% mortality (10 CFU), with 60% mortality at the 10 and 10 CFU infectious dose. Microbial load in blood, joints, and brain was dose dependent, regardless of whether alligators were infected intratracheally or intravenously (  < 0.002). Weight loss was similarly impacted (  < 0.001). Experimental infection of the invertebrate mirrored the result in the natural host. In a dose response infection study, both larval survival curves and successful pupation curves were significantly different ( ≤ 0.0001) and dose dependent. Infected insects did not emerge as moths (  < 0.0001). Here, we describe the first study investigating as a surrogate model to assess the pathogenic potential of . survival was dose dependent and impacted life stage outcome.