Experimental transmission of hantavirus infection in laboratory rats.

This study found a competent transmission of hantavirus between cagemates using congenitally T cell-deficient Rowett nude rats (rnu/rnu). Intraperitoneally infected immunologically normal rats (rnu/+) did not transmit the hantavirus to their normal cagemates (rnu/+) but did to Rowett nude rats (rnu/rnu). Thus, nude rats were shown to be highly susceptible to the hantavirus infection. Also, infected nude rats (rnu/rnu) discharged the infectious viruses, to cause a prevalence of infection among normal cagemates (rnu/+). The infection system demonstrated here using Rowett rats (rnu/rnu) may provide a useful model to study the mechanism of the hantavirus infection.