Milk-borne transmission of human T-cell leukemia virus type I in rabbits.
The mode of vertical transmission of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) was investigated by foster-nursing in rabbits. Two of five rabbits born to noninfected mothers and fostered by virus-infected females seroconverted for HTLV-I after 7 weeks, whereas all seven rabbits born to virus-infected mothers and fostered by noninfected females remained seronegative for the observation period of 6 months. Culture of peripheral blood lymphocytes gave rise to an HTLV-I-carrying T-cell line from each of the two seroconverted rabbits. These findings suggest that HTLV-I is transmitted through milk from mother to offspring.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D011817:Rabbits; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology