The effect of pneumonia induced in mice with Mycoplasma pulmonis on resistance to subsequent bacterial infection and the effect of a respiratory infection with Sendai virus on the resistance of mice to Mycoplasma pulmonis.

The effect of pneumonia induced by Mycoplasma pulmonis in mice on the resistance of the lung to additional bacterial infection was examined. The effect of pneumonia induced by Sendai virus on the resistance of mice to M. pulmonis was also investigated and compared with the effect of Sendai virus on resistance to Staphylococcus aureus. Sendai virus infection decreased subsequent resistance to M. pulmonis in proportion to the virus dose. Decreased resistance to subsequent S. aureus and M. pulmonis infection was greatest at about the same time after inoculation of virus and was related to virus-induced lesions. Besides affecting the resistance of mice to subsequent mycoplasma infection, Sendai virus could enhance an existing mycoplasma infection. Pneumonia induced by M. pulmonis did not decrease resistance to subsequent bacterial infection. The mechanism whereby Sendai virus decreases host resistance is therefore similar for bacteria and mycoplasmas, but pneumonia induced by mycoplasmas does not have the same effect.