Characteristics of 11 rabies virus isolates in mice: titers and relative invasiveness of virus, incubation period of infection, and survival of mice with sequelae.
Mice were inoculated intracerebrally or in the footpad with 11 salivary gland suspensions from rabid foxes, skunks, and bobcats. The 11 isolates differed in their ratios of intracerebral titer to footpad titer, a result indicating that the "invasiveness" of different isolates varies markedly. The degree of invasiveness could not be correlated with the species of animal. The inoculation of the less invasive isolates resulted in an appreciable number of permanently paralyzed animals (survivors with sequelae). These animals had high titers of neutralizing antibody in serum but no neutralizing antibody in the brain, a finding suggesting that virus had invaded only the peripheral nervous system or the spinal ganglia. Pathological examination of the paralyzed mice and normal mice confirmed this finding.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002335:Carnivora; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000473:pathology; D012889:Mephitidae; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010243:Paralysis / Q000150:complications; D011818:Rabies / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013997:Time Factors
D000914:Antibodies, Viral