Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
07:27
Recurrent Herpetic Stromal Keratitis in Mice, a Model for Studying Human HSK
Published on: December 18, 2012
IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES WITH HERPES VIRUS WITH A CONSIDERATION OF THE HERPES-ENCEPHALITIS PROBLEM
1Department of Bacteriology and Immunology of Harvard University Medical School, Boston.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Herpes virus is intracellular in the nervous system and can be neutralized by actively immunized animal serum. Active immunity requires a reaction to living virus, and direct transfer from human encephalitis to rabbits was unsuccessful.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Herpes virus is suspected to be intracellular within the infected nervous system.
- Previous studies on herpes virus neutralization by actively immunized animal serum yielded irregular results.
- The relationship between herpes virus and encephalitis lethargica remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immunological conditions of herpes virus infection.
- To explore the possibility of direct transmission of herpes virus from humans to rabbits.
- To determine if herpes virus and the virus causing encephalitis lethargica are identical.
Main Methods:
- Neutralization of herpes virus with actively immunized animal serum.
- Testing brain extracts for virus-neutralizing power.
- Attempting passive immunization using neutralizing serum.
- Investigating active immunity development following exposure to living or modified virus.
- Attempting direct transfer of herpes virus from human encephalitis material to rabbits using various techniques.
Main Results:
- Herpes virus can be neutralized by actively immunized animal serum; brain extracts show less neutralizing power.
- Passive immunization attempts were unsuccessful.
- Active immunity is achieved only after a reaction to the living virus; neutralized or phenolized virus did not induce immunity.
- Direct transfer of herpes virus from human encephalitis to rabbits failed, contradicting some earlier reports but aligning with recent findings.
- Inoculation of small doses or partially immunized rabbits modified the herpetic syndrome, mimicking human encephalitis features.
Conclusions:
- No conclusive evidence supports the identity of herpes virus and the virus of encephalitis lethargica.
- The viruses may be unrelated, or human central nervous system passage may attenuate the herpes virus for rabbits.
- The study suggests a need to re-evaluate rabies immunization methods and proposes an alternative hypothesis for herpes and encephalitis lethargica.
- Partial immunity in humans from repeated skin infections could explain clinical variations and the innocuousness of direct herpetic virus injections.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Encephalitis l: Introduction
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...
01:26Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
01:23Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection primarily caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), though herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is increasingly implicated in genital infections, particularly among younger populations. Transmission occurs mainly through sexual contact, with asymptomatic viral shedding serving as a major route of spread. This characteristic makes HSV-2 difficult to control at a population level, as individuals may unknowingly transmit the virus even in the...
01:28Herpes
Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV‑1) is a widespread pathogen responsible for orolabial lesions. It is an enveloped, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus belonging to the family Herpesviridae. Once the virus infects a host cell, its double‑stranded DNA genome is delivered into the nucleus, where a coordinated cascade of immediate‑early, early, and late gene expression directs viral DNA replication, structural protein synthesis, and virion assembly. After primary infection of epithelial cells, HSV-1...
01:25Arboviral Encephalitis
Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...