Cultivation of Vibrio fœtus

Abstract

Vibrio fœtus is non-pathogenic for small laboratory animals. As it can cause abortion in sheep and cattle, and is then found in the embryo, cultivation in incubated chicken eggs was attempted. The organism grows easily in the allantoic fluid of seven-to-nine-day eggs. Three days after inoculation, there is a rich growth of Vibrio fœtus in the allantoic fluid. The organism can also develop in dead embryos; but the allantoic fluid is then often so cloudy that it is difficult to detect the organism microscopically. We used two different strains, which had been cultivated on blood agar. We have not as yet had the opportunity of inoculating eggs with material from a sheep- or cow-embryo.