Oral infectivity of street and fixed rabies virus strains in laboratory animals

Oral transmission of rabies could be produced in laboratory animals like mice, guinea pigs and hamsters using challenge virus strain (CVS) and 2 strains of street virus. Study of virus pathway following ingestion suggested predominant neural spread to brain and centrifugal spread to non neural organs like heart and kidneys. However it was found that virus dose required for oral infection was relatively very high. The role of such a transmission in nature needs to be further evaluated, keeping in view the high dose of virus required for oral infectivity and the frequency of consumption of brain by carnivorous animals.