title: Lethal disease in infant and juvenile Syrian hamsters experimentally infected with Imjin virus, a newfound crocidurine shrew-borne hantavirus.
abstract: To gain insights into the pathogenicity of Imjin virus (MJNV), a newfound hantavirus isolated from the Ussuri white-toothed shrew (Crocidura lasiura), groups of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) of varying ages (<1, 5, 10, 14, 21, 35 and 56 days) were inoculated by the intraperitoneal route with 1000 pfu of MJNV strains 04-55 and 05-11. MJNV-infected Syrian hamsters, aged 21 days or less, exhibited reduced activity, weight loss, respiratory distress, hind-limb paralysis and seizures. Death ensued 1 to 6 days after onset of clinical disease. MJNV RNA was detected in brain and other major organs by RT-PCR and real time-PCR. Histopathological examination showed alveolar hemorrhage, interstitial pneumonia and severe pulmonary congestion; focal hepatic necrosis and portal inflammation; and acute meningoencephalitis. By immunohistochemistry, MJNV antigen was detected in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells and glial cells. Older hamsters (35 and 56 days of age) developed subclinical infection without histopathological changes. Future studies are warranted to determine the pathophysiologic bases for the differential age susceptibility of Syrian hamsters to lethal MJNV disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Institute for Viral Diseases, Korea University, 5-ga, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea; Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
authors.forename: Se Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ansan Hospital, College of Medicine, Korea University, Ansan 425-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Institute for Viral Diseases, Korea University, 5-ga, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Luck Ju
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.affiliation: Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Institute for Viral Diseases, Korea University, 5-ga, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jwsong@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jin-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D008647:Mesocricetus; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Hantavirus; Imjin virus; Meningoencephalitis; Syrian hamster