AN EPIZOOTIC OF SENDAI INFECTION WITH MORTALITY IN A BARRIER-MAINTAINED MOUSE COLONY

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Abstract
Bhatt, P. N. and A. M. Jonas (Section of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine. 375 Congress Avenue, New Haven, Conn. 06510). An epizootic of Sendai virus infection with mortality in a barrier-maintained mouse colony. Am J Epidemiol 100:222–229, 1974.—A spontaneous outbreak of Sendai virus infection that occurred in a barrier-maintained mouse colony was investigated. Sudden unexpected deaths in newborns were the first indication of the outbreak. The epizootic with mortality lasted about 3 weeks. In approximately 7320 litters, all littermates died in 53 litters and some deaths occurred in 131 litters. In the 184 affected litters, 1104 of the 1940 littermates died. The mortality was highest in 10- to 14-day-old-mice. The outbreak was attributed to Sendai virus infection on the basis of virus isolations and serologic conversion. Antibodies to other murine viruses remained unchanged. After the outbreak, the mice in the colony showed evidence of enzootic infection as determined by high prevalence of antibody to Sendai virus but there was no overt disease. This is the first reported mouse colony outbreak of Sendai virus infection which was associated with overt disease and mortality.

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