Oral Administration of Coxsackie Viruses to Newborn and Adult Mice. ∗

Abstract

Summary

(1) Newborn mice may be infected by oral administration of at least 5 different strains, representing 4 immunologically distinct Coxsackie, or C, viruses. Adult mice were resistant. (2) Newborn mice surviving oral administration may produce neutralizing antibodies. (3) Adult female mice fed C virus did not transmit neutralizing antibodies to their offspring, in contrast to females inoculated parenterally. (4) In a comparison of routes of inoculation of newborn mice it was found that higher titers may be reached by subcutaneous than by oral administration. The subcutaneous route proved to be about 10,000 times more sensitive than the oral route. (5) Direct contact between inoculated and uninoculated mice did not result in the transmission of infection.