Identical animals means that any differences seen between an experimental animal and the control animal are a result of the treatment, and not due to different genetic makeups. The fact that one animal produces four identical young has been very helpful to scientists, because no experiment is acceptable without proper controls. In the past, the nine-banded armadillo has been used for skin and organ transplant experiments, tests of cancer-causing agents, and experiments on drug metabolism. Some researchers have also explored the possibility of using armadillos in HIV studies. Although the connection between armadillo-leprosy and the changing epidemiology of. (You can read more about this on the Armadillos as Food page.)īecause of their unique double-twinning, nine-banded armadillos are also studied to learn more about multiple births and other reproductive issues. Louisiana Office of Public Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology. My understanding is that most instances of humans contracting leprosy from armadillos involve people who have eaten undercooked armadillo meat. leprae in biochemical and immunological research.Īlthough there has been some concern about humans contracting leprosy from wild armadillos, this is not a common occurrence. The nine-banded armadillo has become the principal source of M. Because of the armadillo, scientists have been able to develop a vaccine against leprosy. The armadillo, however, has a lower body temperature than most mammals, resulting in rapid development of the disease following inoculation. Because the bacillus only tends to grow in cooler parts of the body, such as the feet, nose and ears, large amounts of bacteria could not be grown (attempts to grow the microorganism in vitro have not been successful). While this microorganism has been grown in other types of animal tissue, no animal model had previously been found that regularly contracted the most virulent form of the disease (lepromatous leprosy). who come down with the chronic bacterial disease get it from other people while traveling outside. Researchers have found that the core body temperature of the armadillo is low enough to favor the growth of the leprosy-causing bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Only the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. Odd though it may seem, armadillos might someday help cure leprosy (Hansen’s disease).
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