Fever and Survival

The significance of fever in response to a bacterial infection has been investigated using the lizard Dipsosaurus dorsalis as an animal model. These lizards develop a fever of about 2°C after injection with the bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila . To determine whether this elevation in body temperature increases the resistance of the host to this infection, as measured by survival, lizards were infected with the live bacteria and placed in a neutral (38°C), low (34° or 36°C), or high (40° or 42°C) ambient temperature. An elevation in temperature following experimental bacterial infection results in a significant increase in host survival.