Influence of Biological Model on the Formation of the Pathogenic Properties of the West Nile Virus Isolate

Various biological models are used to isolate West Nile virus, but their role as a selection factor that facilitates selection of isolates with certain properties is usually not evaluated. We compared pathogenic properties of three strains of the West Nile virus obtained from one sample of virus-containing material using different models: WNV Volgograd 900m/18 (on the model of suckling mice), WNV Volgograd 900a/18 (on C6/36 cells) and WNV Volgograd 900v/18 (on Vero cells). WNV Volgograd 900m/18 strain demonstrated virulent (LD₅₀ 5×10³±0.005×10⁴ PFU, p≤0.05) and neuroinvasive properties, induced viremia and pathomorphological changes in the liver, lymph nodes, and brain of nonlinear white mice. WNV Volgograd 900v/18 strain had similar characteristics except for neuroinvasiveness. WNV Volgograd 900a/18 variant demonstrated minimum virulence (LD₅₀ 5×10⁴±0.005×10⁴ PFU, p≤0.05), did not cause neurological symptoms, and was not isolated from the blood of infected animals.