Experimental infection of suckling mice with a host range mutant of junin virus

✍ Scribed by Luis A. Scolaro; Susana E. Mersich; Elsa B. Damonte

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 410 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.1890340408

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Experimental infection of three mouse strains with a non‐pathogenic mutant of Junin virus named C167 was compared with respect to the parental XJC13 strain. After intracerebral (ic) or intraperitoneal inoculation, XJC13 was highly virulent for 2 day‐old C~3~H/HeJ, OF1, and BALB/cJ mouse strains, whereas its derivative C167 was attenuated. Survival of the C167‐infected mouse was associated with a restricted replication at the site of inoculation which would impair spread of virus. Thus, the reduced virulence of C167 for suckling mice is independent of the mouse strain and the route of viral entry. When C167 was preinoculated ic I0 days before the challenge inoculation with XJC13 by the same route, mice were partially protected from lethal infection. Since neutralizing antibodies were first detected at 30 days post‐infection, an interference mechanism is postulated as a mechanism of protection of the mice.