Hemorrhagic fever occurs after intravenous, but not after intragastric, inoculation of rhesus macaques with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.
Arenaviruses can cause hemorrhagic fever and death in primates and guinea pigs, but these viruses are not highly pathogenic for most rodent carriers. In the United States, arenaviruses precipitated outbreaks of hepatitis in captive monkeys, and they present an emerging health threat in the tropical areas of Africa and South America. We describe infection of rhesus macaques with the prototype arenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), using the WE strain that has been known to cause both encephalopathy and multifocal hemorrhage. Five macaques were inoculated: two by the intravenous (i.v.) and three by the intragastric (i.g.) route. Whereas the two i.v.-inoculated monkeys developed signs and lesions consistent with fatal hemorrhagic fever, the i.g.-inoculated monkeys had an attenuated infection with no disease. Pathological signs of the primate i.v. infection differ significantly from guinea pig arenavirus infections and make this a superior model for human viral hemorrhagic disease.
Lukashevich
Igor S
IS
Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Biotech Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
Djavani
Mahmoud
M
Rodas
Juan D
JD
Zapata
Juan C
JC
Usborne
Amy
A
Emerson
Carol
C
Mitchen
Jacque
J
Jahrling
Peter B
PB
Salvato
Maria S
MS
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006482:Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013270:Stomach / Q000821:virology
D012367:RNA, Viral