Murine coronaviruses: the histopathology of disease induced by intranasal inoculation.

Mice inoculated intranasally with murine coronaviruses (mouse hepatitis viruses) were killed daily for seven days. Lung and liver sections stained by the immunoperoxidase technique indicated that with three of the four strains examined viral localisation and replication in the lung preceded that found in the liver. Thus, infection by the respiratory route may be of importance in the transmission of these viruses.