01256nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001200059653002700071653001100098653001600109653001100125653001200136653000900148653000900157653002500166653001400191653000900205653001100214100001500225700001500240700001200255245010100267300001000368520057400378022001400952       1982                            d  c1982 Jul-Sep10aAnimals10aDisease Models, Animal10aFemale10aHibernation10aKidney10aleprosy10aLung10aMale10aMycobacterium leprae10aSciuridae10aSkin10aSpleen1 aGalletti G1 aCavicchi G1 aUssia G00aReplication of Mycobacterium leprae in hibernating ground squirrels (Citellus tridecemlineatus).  a23-313 a<p>Subcutaneous injections of 10(6) acid-fast bacteria from human lepromatous tissue to hibernating ground squirrels (Citellus tridecemlineatus) is followed by generalized infection of the animals and spontaneous death. The number of mycobacteria is high in the skin of GS during winter and decreases during summer. Animals surviving the first hibernation period invariably die during the second. The number of microorganism in the visceral organs is low at all times. The system of infected hibernating GS is a valuable model for the experimental study of leprosy.</p>  a0001-5938