[Influenza in heterothermic animals].
The objective was to study Orthomyxovirus in heterothermic animals. Blood samples from snakes (genus Bothrops and Crotalus) and from toads and frogs (genus Bufo and Rana) were collected to evaluate the red cell receptors and antibodies specific to influenza virus by the hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition tests, respectively. Both snakes and toads kept in captivity presented receptors in their red cells and antibodies specific to either influenza virus type A (human and equine origin) or influenza type B. The same was observed with recently captured snakes. Concerning the influenza hemagglutination inhibition antibodies protective levels were observed in the reptiles' serum, against influenza type A and type B. Unlike the toads, 83.3% of the frogs presented mean levels of Ab 40HIU for some influenza strains. It was concluded that heterothermic animals could offer host conditions to the influenza virus and also susceptibility to the infection.
Laboratório de Virologia do Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP. labvirol@bol.com.br
Dalva Assunção Portari
DA
Mancini
Rita Maria Zucatelli
RM
Mendonça
Aurora Marques
AM
Cianciarullo
Leonardo Setsuo
LS
Kobashi
Hermínio Gomes
HG
Trindade
Wilson
W
Fernandes
José Ricardo
JR
Pinto
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001001:Anura / Q000821:virology*; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D029521:Alphainfluenzavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D029524:Betainfluenzavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017819:Viperidae / Q000821:virology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral