Susceptibility of laboratory animals to experimental infection with Ife virus

The susceptibility of rabbits, domestic chickens and albino rats to experimental infection with Ife virus was investigated. Neither pyrexia nor clinical signs of disease were observed in infected rabbits or chickens. Low-grade viraemia (10(1.0) mouse lethal doses per 0.02 ml) occurred in intracerebrally (i.c.) inoculated chicks on the second day post-infection. Complement-fixing antibody was detected on the 14th day post-inoculation in rabbits and on the 7th day in chickens. Infant rats less than 3 and 5 days of age died after subcutaneous (s.c.) and i.c. inoculation, respectively; older rats survived infection. Ife virus titres were highest in the brain following both i.c. and s.c. inoculation.