Slow development of measles virus (Edmonston strain) infection in the brain of nude mice.

The Edmonston strain of measles virus caused neurologic disease in athymic nude mice by intracerebral inoculation. The incubation periods of the disease, however, were extremely long, ranging from 59 to 140 days when the mice were inoculated with 10(4) plaque forming units (PFU) of the virus. The Edmonston strain was highly infectious in the nude mouse brain since virus infection was established even with 1 PFU of the virus. Virus titers in the brains of infected mice increased with the time of incubation. These results indicate that the extremely long incubation period of the disease is ascribed to very slow development of virus infection in the mouse brain. On the other hand, the incubation periods of the Biken strain of SSPE virus were very short (generally within 2 weeks) even with inoculations of 1 PFU of the virus. However, the extent of the dissemination of infection in brains was not significantly different between the two viruses as examined by immunofluorescent staining.