Propagation of the Kakegawa strain of bovine coronavirus in suckling mice, rats and hamsters.

The Kakegawa strain of bovine coronavirus was easily propagated in suckling mice. Infected animals died with nervous symptoms, and serial passage was readily accomplished by intracerebral inoculation with brain emulsions. The 3rd passage viral material from infected mice evoked the same disease in suckling mice, rats and hamsters inoculated by the intracerebral or by the subcutaneous route. Viruses recovered from mice, rats and hamsters could be clearly differentiated from mouse hepatitis virus strain 2 by the neutralization test.