Journal Article

A mouse model for studying chronic Salmonella Typhi infection and anti-biofilm interventions

Gunn, John S., Woolard, Katherine J., Sorge, Amy, Melander, Christian, Cole, Allysa L.

2026

Overview

Chronic typhoid fever, caused by persistent Salmonella Typhi infection, remains a significant public health concern in multiple regions throughout the world. There is currently no direct animal model utilizing S . Typhi that has been demonstrated to recapitulate the carrier state of typhoid fever. This lack of an animal model has precluded in vivo studies on the mechanisms of infection unique to this serovar. This study establishes and characterizes a new murine model of chronic S . Typhi carriage and demonstrates its utility with the identification of novel anti-biofilm compounds that disperse S . Typhi biofilms from gallbladder gallstones. This new model will provide a means for further studies into S . Typhi chronic infection.

• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology,American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Subject: Animal Infection Models / Animal models / Animals / Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage / Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology / Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use / Antibiotics / Bacteria / Bacterial Infections / Bacterial Pathogenesis / Biofilms / Biofilms - drug effects / Biofilms - growth & development / Calculi / Carrier State - drug therapy / Carrier State - microbiology / Carrier States and Chronic Infection / Cholesterol / Chronic infection / chronic typhoid fever / Ciprofloxacin / Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases / collaborative cross / Disease / Disease Models, Animal / Editor’s Pick / Enteric Bacterial Infections (E.g., Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia) / Experiments / Female / Females / Fever / Gallbladder / Gallbladder - microbiology / Gallstones / Gastrointestinal Infections / Gender differences / Immunocompetence / Infections / Lethality / Liver / Liver - microbiology / Males / Mice / Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology / Microbial Physiology and Genetics / Model Organisms / Murine Typhoid Model / Pathogenesis and Host Response / Persistent Infection - drug therapy / Persistent Infection - microbiology / Public health / Public Health Microbiology / Research Article / Salmonella / Salmonella Infections / Salmonella Pathogenesis / Salmonella Species / Salmonella Typhi / Salmonella typhi - drug effects / Salmonella typhi - physiology / Sex differences / Spleen / Spleen - microbiology / Typhoid / Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever / Typhoid Fever - drug therapy / Typhoid Fever - microbiology / Typhoid Fever - pathology