Immunologic Response and Pathogenesis of Japanese B Infection In Peripherally Inoculated Normal and Cortisone Treated Hamsters.

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Abstract
Most hamsters are not susceptible to disease following subcutaneous inoculation of Japanese B encephalitis (JBE) virus, probably due to early production of antibodies. Normal hamsters when inoculated with JBE virus subcutaneously, developed viremia 6 hours after inoculation. This viremia reached its maximum after 24 hours and disappeared by the 4th day. Virus appeared in the brain on the 4th day and reached its maximum around the 7th or 8th day and disappeared after the 10th or 12th day. Neutralizing antibodies to JBE virus were detected in their sera beginning on the 4th or 5th day and reached their maximum titer around the 27th or 34th day after inoculation. In cortisone-treated hamsters viremia reached its maximum by the 3rd day and disappeared after the 4th day. Virus was detected in the brains of these hamsters from the 3rd day after inoculation, reached its maximum on the 7th or 8th day and remained at a high level to the end of the experiment. Neutralizing antibodies to JBE virus attained a significant level (1.7-10) in only 2 animals and that on the 7th and the 11th days. It seems probable that cortisone, through partial inhibition of antibody production, allowed the virus to multiply freely in the brain and so rendered hamsters highly susceptible to subcutaneous inoculation of the JBE virus.