Experimental pathogenicity of Bhanja virus.

Mice, guinea pigs and rabbits were infected with several strains of Bhanja virus (Bunya-viridae) intracerebrally (i.c.), intraperitoneally (i.p.), subcutaneously (s.c.), intravenously, perorally, intranasally (i.n.) or per conjunctivae. Mortality followed the infection by all routes tested (i.c., i.p., s.c.) in suckling mice, by i.c. and i.n. routes in adult mice, by i.c. route in adult guinea pigs whereas did not occur in adult rabbits even after i.c. inoculation. Invasivity indices were estimated for seven virus strains in suckling mice: the log average differences were 2.0 (1.1-2.5) between i.c. and i.p., and 1.6 (1.2-2.3) between i.c. and s.c. mean lethal doses. Average survival times of infected suckling mice were also compared between the strains and inoculation routes, at standardized virus doses. Bhanja virus is markedly neurotropic: in all succumbed animals maximum virus concentrations were detected in the brain, while from other tissues (lung, liver, spleen, skeletal muscles, pancreas, lymph nodes) and blood the virus was recovered irregularly and in lower amounts.