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THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LYMPHOCYTIC CHORIOMENINGITIS IN WHITE MICE
1Department of Animal and Plant Pathology of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Princeton, N. J.
Abstract:
In a mouse colony in which lymphocytic choriomeningitis is endemic infection takes place either in utero or shortly after birth. Virus is discharged from infected mice with the nasal secretions and urine. In some mice the infection lasts for several months, and such carriers can transmit the disease to healthy mice by contact. The portal of entry appears to be the nasal mucosa rather than the gastrointestinal tract. Mice infected by contact show no definite symptoms while those infected in utero often do. The disease has persisted in the colony for at least 15 months without change in its character. Mouse stocks differ in their susceptibility to contact infection and the findings given in the paper could be reproduced only with a very susceptible stock. Wild mice (Mus musculus) can be infected by contact, although less easily than our white mice. The source of the infection in the colony has not been determined. The fact that the serum of the caretaker neutralizes the virus indicates that he has been infected. It seems likely that the virus went from him to the mice rather than vice versa. Other possible sources of infection are considered.
Insights
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) spreads in mouse colonies via nasal secretions and urine, primarily infecting mice in utero or shortly after birth. Transmission occurs through contact, with nasal mucosa as the main entry point.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
- Animal Health
Background:
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is endemic in the studied mouse colony.
- The virus is shed through nasal secretions and urine, facilitating transmission.
- Persistent infection in carrier mice poses a continuous risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transmission dynamics of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in a mouse colony.
- To identify the primary routes of LCMV infection and shedding.
- To assess factors influencing LCMV susceptibility and persistence.
Main Methods:
- Observation of LCMV endemic infection in a mouse colony.
- Analysis of virus shedding via nasal secretions and urine.
- Evaluation of transmission routes (in utero, postnatal contact).
- Assessment of mouse stock susceptibility to LCMV infection.
Main Results:
- LCMV infection occurs in utero or shortly after birth, with nasal mucosa as the likely entry point.
- Carrier mice shed infectious virus for months, transmitting LCMV through contact.
- In utero infections often cause symptoms, while contact infections are typically asymptomatic.
- Mouse stock susceptibility varies, with a highly susceptible stock required for reproducible results.
- Wild mice (Mus musculus) are susceptible to contact infection, though less so than white mice.
Conclusions:
- LCMV transmission in mice is efficient via nasal secretions and urine, primarily through contact.
- Nasal mucosa is the main portal of entry for LCMV.
- The caretaker's serum neutralizing the virus suggests a potential human-to-mouse transmission source.
- Understanding transmission is crucial for controlling LCMV in research settings.
