Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection in fetal, newborn, and young adult Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

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Abstract
The pathogenesis of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection in fetal, newborn and young adult hamsters was studied. Infected newborn hamsters initially developed a persistent viremia and viruria with titers often > 104.0 mean infectious doses/0.03 ml of blood or urine. After 12 wk, 2 different patterns of infection became evident. Approximately 1/2 of the hamsters eventually cleared the infection; the others developed a chronic progressive and ultimately fatal disease characterized by continuous high-titered viremia and viruria and high titers of virus in their tissues. Complement-fixing antibody and, to a lesser degree, virus-neutralizing antibody coexisted with the viremia. Hamsters with persistently high levels of viremia and viruria developed chronic glomerulonephritis and widespread vasculitis; hamsters that cleared their infections did not develop these lesions. Litters of hamsters born to viremic mothers were invariably infected. Litter sizes were small and breeding effectiveness was reduced; vertical, congenital infection was successfully passed through 3 generations. The course of infection in the congenitally infected hamsters was similar to that in newborn infected hamsters, with all animals producing complement-fixing antibody, some animals being capable of clearing the viremia and remaining healthy, and other animals having persistent viremia and fatal disease. Inoculated young adult hamsters did not become diseased, developed viremia and viruria which persisted up to 3 and 6 mo., respectively, and developed complement-fixing antibody by 10 days after infection. The prolonged urinary excretion of large amounts of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus by asymptomatic, chronically infected hamsters is an important public health consideration when dealing with potential human infection.