The Role of Mononuclear Blood Cells in Experimental Junin Virus Spread to the Central Nervous System

Abstract

The neuroinvasiveness of Junin virus depends on the viral strain, animal species, and age. The role of infected blood cells in hematogenous Junin virus spread to the central nervous system (CNS) was studied by determining the growth in pheripheral mononuclear cells and brain tissue of Candid 1 and XJCL3 laboratory strains, in Calomys musculinus and guinea pigs. The present study demonstrated that Junin virus replicates in circulating peripheral lymphocytes and macrophages of 11-day-old guinea pigs and 6 ± 1-day-old Calomys musculinus. Moreover, the observation that mononuclear phagocyte depletion did block Junin virus neuroinvasion firmly indicates that the cellular viremia (circulating monocytes) is one of the mechanisms of Junin virus attenuated strains spread to the CNS in animal hosts.