ABSTRACT
Dead and sick hedgehogs (Erinaceus europeus) were examined, together with apparently healthy individuals, and paramyxo virus of the morbilli group was isolated. One animal's symptoms were similar to those caused by canine distemper and the virus isolate from faecal suspensions from this animal were antigenically related in various degrees to measles, canine distemper, rinderpest and PPRV viruses. Isolates from normal hedgehogs were found to belong to the same group. The variability and host specificity of members of paramyxo morbilli group virus are discussed and the role of natural infections of wild communities is considered in relation to disease in domestic animals and man.
Subject(s)
Hedgehogs/microbiology , Respirovirus Infections/veterinary , Animals , Feces/microbiology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Hemagglutinins, Viral/analysis , Hemolysin Proteins/analysis , Lung/microbiology , Male , Neutralization Tests , Paramyxoviridae/isolation & purification , Paramyxoviridae/ultrastructure , Respirovirus Infections/pathologyABSTRACT
The suspected ability of herpes simiae (B virus) to persist in a latent form has been confirmed in rhesus monkeys. The virus was recovered from primary oral lesions of 2 young monkeys and again, 6 months after disappearance of symptoms, from cultures of Gasserian ganglia taken from the same individuals. B virus was identified by its effects in vivo and in vitro and in cross neutralization tests with antisera to reference B virus and herpes simplex virus. Tests showed that the same virus was present in oral lesions and in ganglia. The one-way immunological relationship between herpes simplex virus and B virus was clearly shown in results of cross neutralization tests.
Subject(s)
Carrier State/microbiology , Herpesviridae Infections/veterinary , Herpesviridae/isolation & purification , Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine/isolation & purification , Monkey Diseases/microbiology , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Haplorhini , Herpesviridae Infections/microbiology , Macaca mulatta , Neutralization Tests/methods , RecurrenceABSTRACT
When small doses of herpes simplex virus (HSV) were given to rabbits a significant degree of protection was afforded against later infection with herpes simiae (B virus). Only 12/47 rabbits died within 3 weeks of receiving B virus dosages that would normally have proved lethal. B virus became latent in survivors and was recovered from brain and spinal cord suspensions from rabbits which died within 6 months and from dorsal root ganglia of rabbits which had survived for more than 2 years without overt signs of infection. A minority of the survivors tested also yielded HSV. Rabbits with latent B virus in the ganglia showed little or no detectable neutralizing antibody to B virus. The possibility is discussed that human populations having a high frequency occurrence of HSV antibody may include carriers of latent B virus.
