title: Pathogenicity of rotavirus in rabbits.
abstract: The role of rotavirus in diarrheal disease of rabbits was investigated, and a model for human rotavirus infection was established. Orogastric inoculation of 8- and 12-week-old New Zealand White rabbits with a rabbit strain of rotavirus (L:ALA:84) resulted in fecal shedding of virus for 6 to 8 days from 2 to 5 days after inoculation. Most rabbits exhibited diarrhea, coincident with the onset of viral shedding, which persisted for 2 to 4 days. Diarrhea was characterized by soft or fluid stools and fecal staining of the perineum. Inoculation of 3-week-old rabbits resulted in a briefer period of viral shedding and diarrhea of a milder nature. Histopathologic examination during the period of viral shedding revealed a mild, nonsuppurative enteritis. Inoculated rabbits exhibited antibodies in serum to rotavirus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sham-inoculated or uninoculated rabbits maintained in the same cage or the same room with inoculated rabbits acquired rotavirus infection. The mild diarrheal disease which resulted with a rotavirus isolate from severe field cases suggests that cofactors were involved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Thouless
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: DiGiacomo
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Deeb
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral