AAAR 37th Annual Conference October 14 - October 18, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
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Comparison of Disease Progression in A/J and C57BI/6 Mice Exposed to Aerosolized Coxiella burnetii
CHRISTOPHER JENSEN, Jeanean Ghering, Aysegul Nalca, Sara Ruiz, USAMRIID
Abstract Number: 448 Working Group: Bioaerosols
Abstract Until recently, Coxiella burnetii research was hampered by its obligate intracellular nature and inability to be propagated outside of mammalian cells. With the advent of an axenic growth system, many avenues are now able to be pursued. Characterization of the bacterial stock is essential prior to utilization in animal experimentation. Four strains of C. burnetii (Nine Mile, Q229-K, RSA334, and Henzerling) were examined for viability, purity, and morphology. Due to the robust growth of Nine Mile in comparison to the other strains, it was chosen as the best candidate to proceed with for future studies. Sham aerosols were performed and demonstrated the ability to deliver aerosolized C. burnetii with particles with a mass median diameter capable of depositing in the lower airways across numerous species. A comparative study between A/J and C57Bl/6 mice demonstrated that all aerosol challenged mice developed clinical signs to include weight loss and temperature changes. Future experimentation will include the development of a non-human primate model in order to examine the full spectrum of disease and complete both a small and NHP model to aid in medical countermeasure screening.