[Thymus involvement in the pathogenesis of experimental tick-borne encephalitis]

The involvement of the thymus in the infectious process was established in Syrian hamsters inoculated intracerebrally with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus of different degrees of virulence. Active virus reproduction, amplification of virus antigen, massive evacuation of thymocytes, morphological lesions in the epithelial stroma and Hassall's bodies were observed. The lesions were more marked after inoculation of the highly virulent Sophyin strain. The unusually high plasmatization of lymph nodes adjacent to the thymus observed after inoculation with the low-virulent 41/65 strain is described. The results indicate that the involvement of the thymus is an important factor in the pathogenesis of TBE.