Brief communication: Intracolonlc injection of beg in the rhesus monkey

Intramucosal injection of living BCGInto the colon and rectum was well tolerated by rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Ulceration developed at Injection sites within 3 weeks after initial injection and healed spontaneously without sigulficant hemorrhage, perforation, or functional obstruction. All animals developed systemic tuberculin hypersensitivity. A second Intrarectal Injection of BCG produced indurated mucosal lesions within 24–48 hours and local ulceration within 1 week. Inadvertent extracolonic Injection of BCG produced localized abscesses and a single Instance of focal granulomatous peritonitis. No extracolonlc lesions were observed In properly inoculated animals and there was no evidence of systemic BCG infection at necropsy.