Transmission of maedi by inoculation of a virus grown in tissue culture from maedi-affected lungs
Gudnadóttir, M.; Pálsson, P.A.
Journal of Infectious Diseases 117(1): 1-6
1967
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1899
PMID: 4961241
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/117.1.1
Accession: 014786478
Experiments to transmit maedi to healthy sheep by intrapulmonal injection of 3 serologically related strains of virus were carried out with success. The virus strains used were isolated in tissue culture from lungs of sheep naturally affected with maedi in 3 different outbreaks. Results of tests for virus in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva and nasal secretion of the experimental animals during the preclinical phase of maedi, and results of tests for maedi virus in various organs at death are reported. Histopathological lesions of the lungs are described. In 2 sheep, clinical signs and histopathological lesions of the central nervous system indistinguishable from visna were observed. In the experimental animals neutralizing antibodies against the homologous maedi strains were found to appear in the blood simultaneously with neutralizing antibodies against visna virus. These findings concur with previous evidence of the identiy of maedi and visna viruses, and suggest that maedi and visna are 2 clinical manifestations of the same infection.