Antigenic variants of Junín virus isolated from infected Calomys musculinus. Brief report

Junín virus establishes a long-term persistent infection in its natural host, Calomys musculinus. Virus recovered from blood of infected animals from 14 to 61 days p.i. behaved antigenically distinct to parental virus, as shown by cross neutralization assays. The emergence of antigenic viral variants occurs during both the acute and persistent state of infection.