Susceptibility of Mice Aged 0–14 Days to Infection with Junin Virus 1

Abstract

Summary

Junin virus is more pathogenic for laboratory mice aged 0–14 days when inoculated intracerebrally (ic) than when inoculated intraperitoneally or subcutaneously; its pathogenicity by the latter two routes is about the same. Susceptibility to infection with the virus inoculated ic diminishes rapidly after age 6 days. In some instances, involving all three routes of inoculation, mice showed no signs of illness but produced complement-fixing antibodies. A number of mice inoculated ic became infected but recovered completely, and they, too, developed antibodies. In addition, antibodies were detected in the sera of some mice that survived peripheral inoculation with lasting paralytic sequelae.