Chronic neurologic disease in Junín virus-infected rats

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Junín virus persistence in CNS of rats was capable of inducing late neurologic disease. Following intracerebral inoculation of newborn animals with XJ strain, three distinct stages could be discerned: an early phase of acute disease, up to 30 days pi, with 5% mortality; an intermediate one, extending to 280 days pi, without clinical signs but with evident viral persistence; and a final period of chronic illness, featuring clinical neurologic syndrome, severe perivascular inflammatory reaction, PAP-labeled viral antigen in a few cerebral and cerebellar neurons, and virus recovery only by coculture. Late neurologic disease seems associated to the lack of effective clearance of brain virus, leading to viral persistence and long lasting immunologic stimulation. The importance of animal models for pathogenic studies on CNS persistent viral infections leading to late neurologic disease is stressed.