Summary
In mice infected by the intravenous or intraperitoneal routes with psittacosis virus (6BC strain), oral sodium sulfadiazine therapy was followed by the survival of all mice so treated. Penicillin has proven effective therapeutically when given by the oral or subcutaneous routes.
In mice infected by the respiratory route, oral therapy with sodium sulfadiazine protected all of the mice while oral administration of penicillin caused a definite delay in death or survival of the mice so treated.
With an intracerebral challenge, oral sodium sulfadiazine therapy produced a delay in the time of death of the animals while parenteral penicillin was without effect.
Fifty-three to 100 per cent of the mice surviving the intravenous or intraperitoneal challenge following treatment with either sodium sulfadiazine or penicillin or combined therapy with both agents have been demonstrated to be carriers of the virus for from 30 to 65 days after therapy was discontinued.
Streptomycin, given by subcutaneous injection, and p-amino benzoic acid, administered in the diet, have shown no significant effects upon the course of psittacosis (6BC strain) infections in mice.
Footnotes
Studies were conducted at Camp Detrick, Frederick, Md. from October 1944 to April 1945.
