In order to compare and evaluate three animal models for studying the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains, three experimental animal models, namely, murine intra-venous LD 50, mouse foreign body infection and rat central venous catheter (CVC) infection models were used to assess the relative virulence of two S. epidermidis strains, ATCC 12228 and 97-337. The results from three animal models were comparable, indicating S.epidermidis 97-337 was more virulent than strain ATCC 12228. The rat CVC infection model best mimicked the conditions of clinical patients with intra-venous catheters, and more information could be obtained from this model. We conclude that different in vivo models serve for different purposes, and the rat CVC infection model is most suitable for studying specific characteristics of catheter related infections caused by S. epidermidis strains.
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