scholarly journals The hamster as a secondary reservoir host of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

1976 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. H. Skinner ◽  
E. H. Knight ◽  
L. S. Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
Natural Reservoir ◽  
Virus Source ◽  
Simulated Field

SUMMARYExposure of weaned hamsters to an environment contaminated with LCM virus shed by tolerantly infected mice led to short subclinical infections. If infection occurred in early pregnancy, the young appeared normal at birth but their tissues were highly infective. For two to three months their bites and urine were also highly infective. A viraemia did not persist long enough for successive vertical transmissions of the infection to be likely. However, the viruria persisted in most prenatally infected hamsters for at least eight months and under simulated field conditions was a potent virus source for contact infections, leading to further generations of prenatally infected young. In the absence of the natural reservoir host, such long-term carriers could have been a major factor in causing the build-up of infection in colonies of hamsters which, when purchased as household pets, led to a recent spate of human clinical infections in Germany and the U.S.A.

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Bonthius
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Virus ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Congenital Infection ◽  
Immunological Tolerance ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus ◽  
Long Term Prognosis ◽  
Lcmv Infection ◽  
Prevalent Pathogen

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), an arenavirus, is a prevalent pathogen and an important and underrecognized cause of neurologic birth defects. LCMV utilizes rodents as its principal reservoir. Rodents that acquire the virus transplacentally often remain asymptomatic because congenital infection provides immunological tolerance for the virus. Humans typically acquire LCMV by direct contact with fomites contaminated with infectious virus, from rodents, or by inhalation of aerosolized virus. Congenital LCMV infection occurs when a woman acquires the virus during pregnancy. The virus is passed to the fetus transplacentally, presumably during maternal viremia. Published reports of LCMV infection during pregnancy make it clear that LCMV can be a severe neuroteratogen. Prospective epidemiological or clinical studies of congenital LCMV infection are needed to gain more knowledge about the incidence and spectrum of LCMV-induced teratogenicity. The clinical presentation of congenital LCMV is reviewed, along with recommendations for diagnostic studies and information about long-term prognosis.

scholarly journals Monitoring mouse stocks for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-a human pathogen

1971 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. H. Skinner ◽  
E. H. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Mouse ◽  
Biological Materials ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Laboratory Staff ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Wild House Mice

Wild house mice ( Mus musculus) persistently infected with high titres of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (tolerant infection) are the source of human inapparent and overt infections, the latter sometimes being of a serious nature. Infections have also occurred in laboratory staff studying the virus and in others handling biological materials contaminated with it. The literature is reviewed. Great Britain is one of the countries in which pockets of infected wild house mice exist, and these can be a source of infection for laboratory mouse colonies within which congenital transmission through tolerantly infected females would be the main method of spread. Overt signs of the infection may not be detected in mice, and absence of the infection would be certain only if 100% of the litters from which future breeding stock are to be selected were monitored for infectivity and maintained in isolation from unmonitored mice. A suitable monitoring technique is described. It must be the aim of all breeders of mice to eliminate the possibility of their colonies being a potential hazard to human health. The life-long high infectivity of tolerantly infected mice provides a long-term source of infection for those who handle them and for other biological materials in which the virus can persist without recognition.

scholarly journals Long-Term CD4 Th1 and Th2 Memory following Acute Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 8281-8288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason K. Whitmire ◽  
Mary S. Asano ◽  
Kaja Murali-Krishna ◽  
M. Suresh ◽  
Rafi Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Cd4 T Cells ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis ◽  
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus ◽  
Cd4 T Cell ◽  
Th2 Cells ◽  
Th2 Responses ◽  
Th1 And Th2

ABSTRACT CD4 T cells play a central role in viral immunity. They provide help for B cells and CD8 T cells and can act as effectors themselves. Despite their importance, relatively little is known about the magnitude and duration of virus-specific CD4 T-cell responses. In particular, it is not known whether both CD4 Th1 memory and CD4 Th2 memory can be induced by viral infections. To address these issues, we quantitated virus-specific CD4 Th1 (interleukin 2 [IL-2] and gamma-interferon) and Th2 (IL-4) responses in mice acutely infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Using two sensitive assays (enzyme-linked immunospot assay and intracellular stain) to measure cytokine production at the single-cell level, we found that both CD4 Th1 and Th2 responses were induced during primary LCMV infection. At the peak (day 8) of the response, the frequency of LCMV-specific CD4 Th1 cells was 1/35 to 1/160 CD4 T cells, and the frequency of Th2 cells was 1/400. After viral clearance, the numbers of virus-specific CD4 T cells dropped to 1/260 to 1/3,700 and then were maintained at this level indefinitely. Upon rechallenge with LCMV, both CD4 Th1 and Th2 memory cells made an anamnestic response in vivo. These results show that unlike some microbial infections in which only Th1 or Th2 responses are seen, an acute viral infection can induce a mixed CD4 T-cell response with long-term memory.

scholarly journals Maternal Vaginal Ureaplasma spp. Colonization in Early Pregnancy Is Associated with Adverse Short- and Long-Term Outcome of Very Preterm Infants

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 276
Author(s):  
Judith Rittenschober-Böhm ◽  
Tanja Habermüller ◽  
Thomas Waldhoer ◽  
Renate Fuiko ◽  
Stefan M. Schulz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Long Term Outcome ◽  
Very Preterm Infants ◽  
Very Preterm ◽  
Vaginal Colonization ◽  
Short And Long Term

Vaginal colonization with Ureaplasma (U.) spp. has been shown to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcome; however, data on neonatal outcome are scarce. The aim of the study was to investigate whether maternal vaginal colonization with U. spp. in early pregnancy represents a risk factor for adverse short- or long-term outcome of preterm infants. Previously, 4330 pregnant women were enrolled in an observational multicenter study, analyzing the association between vaginal U. spp. colonization and spontaneous preterm birth. U. spp. colonization was diagnosed via PCR analysis from vaginal swabs. For this study, data on short-term outcome were collected from medical records and long-term outcome was examined via Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 24 months adjusted age. Two-hundred-and-thirty-eight children were born <33 weeks gestational age. After exclusion due to asphyxia, malformations, and lost-to-follow-up, data on short-term and long-term outcome were available from 222 and 92 infants, respectively. Results show a significant association between vaginal U. spp. colonization and severe intraventricular hemorrhage (10.4% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.03), retinopathy of prematurity (21.7% vs. 10.3%, p = 0.03), and adverse psychomotor outcome (24.3% vs. 1.8%, OR 13.154, 95%CI 1.6,110.2, p = 0.005). The data suggest an association between vaginal U. spp. colonization in early pregnancy and adverse short- and long-term outcome of very preterm infants.

scholarly journals Effect of Spaceflight on Tomato Seed Quality and Biochemical Characteristics of Mature Plants

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Elena Dzhos ◽  
Nadezhda Golubkina ◽  
Marina Antoshkina ◽  
Irina Kondratyeva ◽  
Andrew Koshevarov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Quality ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
Tomato Seed ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Biochemical Characteristics ◽  
Tomato Seeds ◽  
Genetic Modifications ◽  
Total Antioxidant

Intensive space exploration includes profound investigations on the effect of weightlessness and cosmic radiation on plant growth and development. Tomato seeds are often used in such experiments though up to date the results have given rather vague information about biochemical changes in mature plants grown from seeds subjected to spaceflight. The effect of half a year of storage in the International Space Station (ISS) on tomato seeds (cultivar Podmoskovny ranny) was studied by analyzing the biochemical characteristics and mineral content of mature plants grown from these seeds both in greenhouse and field conditions. A significant increase was recorded in ascorbic acid, polyphenol and carotenoid contents, and total antioxidant activity (AOA), with higher changes in the field conditions compared to greenhouse. Contrary to control plants, the ones derived from space-stored seeds demonstrated a significant decrease in root AOA. The latter plants also showed a higher yield, but lower content of fruit dry matter, sugars, total dissolved solids and organic acids. The fruits of plants derived from space-stored seeds demonstrated decreased levels of Fe, Cu and taste index. The described results reflect the existence of oxidative stress in mature tomato plants as a long-term consequence of the effect of spaceflight on seed quality, whereas the higher yield may be attributed to genetic modifications.

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