Thirty, nine-banded armadillos weighing between 3 and 5 kilograms trapped from an area endemic for armadillo leprosy were collected at random; killed, autopsied and examined histopathologically. Also, one of the right inguinal lymph nodes was removed under sterile precautions and examined using PCR, direct smear examination, mouse fo otpad study, culture in laboratory media and histopathology with a view to detecting Mycobacterium leprae. Blood was collected at death and tested for IgM antibodies to PGL-l. According to the PCR study of the inguinal lymph nodes 16 of 30 armadillos (53•3%) had evidence of M. leprae. Significant levels of IgM antibodies to PGL-l and identifiable lepromatous granuloma in inguinal lymph nodes were fo und in 2 animals (6'7%) with advanced disseminated disease. The prevalence of generalized leprosy according to autopsy study was 13•3% and according to histopathological examination of ear tissue 3•3%. The presence of M. lep rae in the tissues evoked no special tissue reaction in the early stages. The pattern of spread of the disease in 2 animals closely resembled that fo und in experimental animals infected intracutaneously. Initiation of infection by inoculation of M. leprae through thorn pricks remains a distinct possibility.
Because previous studies had demonstrated that administration of this bacterin produced no humoral changes, it now appears less probable that laboratory methods will be of much help in assessing even possible effectiveness of such vaccination.
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