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Encephalomyelitis in mice experimentally infected with Akabane virus
National Institute of Animal Health Quarterly
|January 1, 1979
Summary
Akabane virus intracerebral injection in mice caused nonpurulent encephalomyelitis. The virus targeted nerve cells in the central nervous system, leading to degeneration and spongy lesions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Virology
- Pathology
Background:
- Akabane virus is an arbovirus known to cause congenital abnormalities in livestock.
- The neurotropic potential and central nervous system (CNS) effects of Akabane virus in mammals require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathogenesis of Akabane virus infection in the mouse central nervous system.
- To characterize the distribution and effects of Akabane virus within neural tissues.
Main Methods:
- Intracerebral inoculation of Akabane virus into a mouse model.
- Detection of viral antigens using the fluorescent antibody technique.
- Histological examination of neural tissues for pathological changes.
Main Results:
- Fluorescent antigens were localized within the cytoplasm of nerve cells throughout the CNS, particularly in the medulla oblongata and spinal cord.
- Viral antigen presence correlated with acute, severe neuronal degeneration (Nissl's degeneration) and the formation of spongy foci.
- Akabane virus was successfully isolated from brain and spinal cord tissues, but not from blood or visceral organs.
Conclusions:
- Akabane virus demonstrates a specific tropism for nerve cells within the central nervous system.
- Intracerebral inoculation of Akabane virus in mice induces primary nonpurulent encephalomyelitis, highlighting its neurovirulence.