Immunofluorescent studies of bovine para-influenza 3 virus. I. Cell cultures and experimentally infected hamsters.

Immunofluorescent techniques were used to follow the replication of the SF-4 strain of bovine para-influenza 3 (PI-3) virus in Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK), secondary bovine kidney (BK), Embryonic Bovine Trachea (EBTr) cell cultures and experimentally infected hamsters. The virus replicated equally well in MDBK and secondary BK cell cultures but less successfully in EBTr cultures. Nuclear fluorescence was not observed in the cell systems studied. Infection was limited to the epithelial lining of the upper respiratory tract, trachea and bronchi of experimentally infected hamsters. Virus was most easily identified in smears prepared from turbinate mucosa suggesting a potential diagnostic technique for use in identifying PI-3 infected animals.