Mink lung cells: a non-primate cell line highly susceptible for varicella-zoster virus

Mink lung cells (MvILu) are highly susceptible to varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The titres of cell-free VZV suspensions reached 1.0 x 10(7) p.f.u./ml at 3 days post-infection, with subsequent cell degeneration, if MvILu cells were infected with a multiplicity of infectious virus of 0.01 p.f.u./cell. In contrast, during the same period and under the same conditions the titres of cell-free VZV were 10(2) to 10(3) times lower when grown on human foreskin fibroblasts. A fast and reliable plaque assay and a neutralization test for VZV on MvILU cells, were developed.