The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 10, Issue 1 139-144, Copyright © 1977 by Society for General Microbiology
Experimental infection of monkeys with Herpesvirus suis (Aujeszky's-disease virus)
A. Baskerville and G. Lloyd
Monkeys were infected intranasally with Herpesvirus suis. After an
incubation period of 7 to 13 days the animals became acutely ill and
rapidly died. Clinical signs included salivation, incoordination, ataxia
and epileptiform convulsions, but not pruritus. Histopathological changes
were confined to the central nervous system, and consisted of destruction
of neurones with the formation of intranuclear inclusion bodies, gliosis
and perivascular cuffing. Virus was isolated from the brain and spinal cord
in the later stages of the illness but neutralising antibodies were not
detected in serum. The distribution of lesions indicated direct spread of
virus from the inoculation site along cranial nerves to the brain.
