EXPERIMENTAL ORAL AND NASAL TRANSMISSION OF RABIES VIRUS IN MICE

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (1) , 10-15
Abstract
Weanling female white Swiss mice were exposed to challenge virus standard rabies virus and street virus isolates from various domestic and wild animals. Virus was given as suspension or as infected mouse brain, by stomach tube, single injection of suspension into the oral cavity of unanesthetized mice, repeated injection into the oral cavity of anesthetized mice and by single application to the external nares of anesthetized mice. Challenge virus standard virus in mouse brain suspension and a suspension of skunk salivary glands infected with street virus (titers .gtoreq. 106 MIC[mouse intracerebral] LD50/0.03 ml) consistently produced high rates of infection in mice exposed intranasally, low to high rates of infection in mice exposed by forced feeding and other artificial methods of oral exposure and very low rates of infection when given free choice. Street virus isolates passaged intracerebrally in mice had titers .ltoreq. 104.5 MICLD50/0.03 ml and rarely caused rabies in mice exposed orally or nasally by any method. With the isolates used, virus of high titer (.gtoreq. 106MICLD50/0.03 ml) apparently is required to consistently produce infection in mice by the nasal route and the mucosa of the nasal cavity probably is the chief route of infection even after oral administration.