Acute encephalitis, a poliomyelitis-like syndrome and neurological sequelae in a hamster model for flavivirus infections.
Infection of hamsters with the murine flavivirus Modoc results in (meningo)encephalitis, which is, during the acute phase, frequently associated with flaccid paralysis, as also observed in patients with West Nile virus encephalitis. Twenty percent of the hamsters that recover from the acute encephalitis develop life-long neurological sequelae, reminiscent of those observed, for example, in survivors of Japanese encephalitis. Magnetic resonance imaging and histology revealed severe lesions predominantly located in the olfactory-limbic system, both in hamsters with acute encephalitis as in survivors. Prominent pathology was also detected in the spinal cord of hamsters with paralysis. Modoc virus infections in hamsters provide a unique model for the study of encephalitis, a poliomyelitis-like syndrome and neurological sequelae following flavivirus infection.
Leyssen
Pieter
P
Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
Croes
Romaric
R
Rau
Philipp
P
Heiland
Sabine
S
Verbeken
Erik
E
Sciot
Raphael
R
Paeshuyse
Jan
J
Charlier
Nathalie
N
De Clercq
Erik
E
Meyding-Lamadé
Uta
U
Neyts
Johan
J
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D018177:Flavivirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009336:Necrosis; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014709:Vero Cells
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein