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Table I.
Experimental setup of the CMt transmission studies: groups and numbers of cats, CMt exposure, immunosuppression protocol, inoculum (CMt-positive saliva or blood), inoculation route, and monitoring period.
| Group of cats | CMt exposure | Administration of prednisolone | Number of cats | Inoculum (total copies of CMt) | Inoculation route | Monitoring period (weeks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | I. Transmission by saliva | 5 | 2.1 mL saliva (8 × 102 copies) | Oronasal | 4 | |
| II. Transmission by saliva, immunosuppression | 5 mg/kg/d for 8 days; 2.5 mg/kg/d for 29 days | 5a | 6.1 mL saliva (7 × 103 copies) | Oronasal | 6 | |
| III. Transmission by blood | 5a | 63 μL blood (8 × 103 copies) | Oral | 10 | ||
| IV. Transmission by blood | 5a | 500 μL blood (4 × 105 copies) | Oral | 9 | ||
| V. Transmission by blood | 5a | 50 μL blood (6 × 103 copies) | Subcutaneous | 23 | ||
| Group B | I. Transmission by saliva | 5 | 100 μL saliva (1 × 102 copies) | Subcutaneous | 6 | |
| II. Transmission by saliva, immunosuppression | 5 mg/kg/d for 8 days; 2.5 mg/kg/d for 14 days | 5b | 2 × 200 μL saliva (1 × 103 copies) | Subcutaneous | 4 | |
| III. Transmission by blood | 5b | 10 μL blood (1 × 103 copies) | Subcutaneous | 30 | ||
| IV. Transmission by blood | 1b (Cat 7) | 10 μL blood (1 × 103 copies) | Subcutaneous | 9 | ||