Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) experimental infection: susceptibility and immune response of adult mice.

Adult mice are susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection only under some experimental conditions. This paper report the results of pathogenesis studies on 4 different strains of mice (CF1, C3H, NIH-nude, BALB-c/J) infected with the cloned and uncloned 0(1)C strain of FMDV. High virus titers were detected in blood and pancreas 12-24 h after infection (p.i.); these persisted for up to 48 h p.i. in CF1 and BALB-c/J mice and 72 h p.i. in the two other mouse strains. Virus titers observed in other organs were lower than those found in blood. In pancreas, and occasionally in salivary glands, oropharynx, heart and testicles, viral antigen was detected by direct immunofluorescent assay. Circulating neutralizing antibodies appeared in CF1 and C3H mice at 72 and 96 h p.i. respectively, and their titers remained unchanged during the 30-day experimental period. Antibodies against viral infection-associated antigen (VIA) were detected for a shorter period. In animals irradiated with 1 LD 50 (total body irradiation), viremia persisted up to 14 days p.i. and a low antibody response was observed which began at the end of viremia. No differences in the response of mice to cloned or uncloned FMDV were observed.