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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
04:23
A Murine Model of Dengue Virus-induced Acute Viral Encephalitis-like Disease
Published on: April 28, 2019
ACUTE ASCENDING MYELITIS FOLLOWING A MONKEY BITE, WITH THE ISOLATION OF A VIRUS CAPABLE OF REPRODUCING THE DISEASE
1Departments of Bacteriology and Surgery, New York University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College, and the Third (New York University) Surgical Division of Bellevue Hospital, New York.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
Summary
A novel virus, now identified as B virus, was isolated from a patient with acute ascending myelitis following a monkey bite. This neurotropic virus caused a similar disease in rabbits, distinct from other known viral infections.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Neurology
- Pathology
Background:
- Acute ascending myelitis following a Macacus rhesus monkey bite is a rare condition.
- The etiology of such myelitis is often unclear, with viral causes suspected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cause of acute ascending myelitis in a patient bitten by a Macacus rhesus monkey.
- To characterize the etiological agent and its pathological effects.
Main Methods:
- Clinical and pathological examination of the human case.
- Transmission studies in various animal models (monkeys, dogs, mice, guinea pigs).
- Isolation and characterization of a filtrable virus in rabbits via intracutaneous inoculation.
Main Results:
- The human case presented with myelitis and focal visceral necrosis, distinct from disseminated encephalomyelitis.
- Transmission to non-primate animals was unsuccessful.
- A neurotropic, filtrable virus (B virus) was isolated from the patient's tissues and successfully induced a similar disease in rabbits, including focal necrosis.
Conclusions:
- The B virus is identified as the causative agent of the observed acute infectious myelitis.
- The experimental disease in rabbits closely mimics the human condition, supporting B virus as a distinct entity.
- Further studies are needed to determine the relationship between B virus and herpes virus.
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