Experimental infection of rabbit with Bhanja virus

Two young female rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus var. edulis) were inoculated subcutaneously with Bhanja virus (BHA) in a dose of 85 intracerebral LD50 for suckling mice (SMicLD50) and 8500 SMicLD50 (rabbit A and B, resp.). In rabbit A no clinical symptoms, nor viremia were observed, only seroconversion was revealed on day 7 p.i. On the other hand, in the rabbit B hypothermy on days 7--11 p.i., a mild adynamia on day 11 p.i. and a slight paresis on one hind leg on days 23--30 p.i. were observed; traces of BHA virus in the blood were detected on day 9 p.i. and seroconversion on day 7 p.i. The virus was not isolated from the interior organs (brain, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs and heart) of the two rabbits dissected 38 days p.i.