Association of foetal wastage with influenza infection during ferret pregnancy.
Inoculation of influenza virus into pregnant ferrets during the late gestational period was investigated. Foetal resorption followed intracardial inoculation of a large dose of influenza virus (10(9.4) EBID50) and a 100-fold lower dose caused lower litter sizes at birth. The possible role of fever in foetal resorptions was largely discounted by 2 observations: a non-pyrexic dose inoculated intracardially into the pregnant ferret still had detrimental effects on foetal viability; influenza virus inoculated intranasally caused a pyrexia but did not affect the progeny. The potential of the ferret as a model for studying the possible adverse effects of influenza during pregnancy is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology*; D005327:Fetal Resorption / Q000209:etiology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
D000914:Antibodies, Viral