DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTRAPERITONEAL IMPLANT CHAMBER FOR THE STUDY OF IN VIVO-GROWN PASTEURELLA-HAEMOLYTICA IN CATTLE

Abstract

An intraperitoneal implant chamber was developed for the study of the in vivo growth of Pasteurella haemolytica in calves. The chamber had a volume of approximately 100 ml and featured an external sampling port which allowed multiple and sequential sampling of the chamber contents. A single polycarbonate diffusion membrane with a pore size of 0.22 micron allowed host peritoneal fluid to diffuse into the chamber and maintained the bacterial population free of white blood cells. Chambers were implanted into the peritoneal cavities of four five-month-old dairy-cross calves, demonstrated to be sero-negative by indirect haemagglutination assay. Three days later, four different P. haemolytica isol..