Abstract
The possibility of the occurrence of a persistent infection of mice with mouse adapted bluetongue virus (MBTV), the pattern of development of the lesions induced in the neonatal mouse brain by infection and some factors responsible for the age dependent immunity to MBTV infection in mice were investigated. Neonatal and weanling mice were inoculated with MBTV to investigate the possibility of their developing a persistent infection. Mice in each age group which survived acute infection were divided into groups of 10 each and one group was killed each month. Brain tissue from these mice was inoculated into neonatal mice in order to detect the presence of MBTV. Tissues from mice in each group were studied utilizing histologic, immunofluorescent, and immunologic techniques. A group of neonatal mice was inoculated intraperitoneally with MBTV in order to study the pathogenesis of cerebral lesions associated with the infection. Inoculated neonates were killed in groups of 4 at various intervals postinoculation and brain tissue was collected from them for examination by histologic, immunofluorescent, and ultrastructural techniques. The data obtained from these studies were used to formulate a hypothesis for the pathogenesis of lesions in the neonatal mouse brain. The initial evidence of neurologic disease was endothelial hypertrophy. This progressed to vascular necrosis, thrombosis, ischemic necrosis (infarction) and invasion of the neuropil with neutrophils. ...
McGill, Lawrence David (1972). Characterization of the immune response and lesions of the central nervous system in bluetongue virus infection of mice. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -185336.