TABLE 3.

Effect of delayed intraperitoneal interferon alfacon-1 therapy^a on Pichinde virus-infected hamsters

Drug	Dosage (mg/kg/day)/start of treatment (h)	No. of survivors/total	Mean day of deathb ± SD	Mean virus titer ± SD		Mean serum ALTef (IU/liter) ± SD
				Liverc	Serumd
Interferon alfacon-1	0.02/−4	8/10***	17.5 ± 0.7*	4.5 ± 0.0**	≤2.8**	29 ± 18*
	0.01/−4	8/10***	12.5 ± 2.1*	4.4 ± 1.0*	≤2.8**	17 ± 4**
	0.02/24	7/10***	9.7 ± 0.6	6.5 ± 0.9	5.9 ± 0.7	62 ± 43
	0.01/24	4/10**	10.8 ± 2.8*	7.1 ± 1.5	5.4 ± 1.7	281 ± 200
	0.02/48	2/10	9.1 ± 1.6	7.4 ± 0.5	6.5 ± 0.8	46 ± 13*
	0.01/48	2/10	9.8 ± 3.9	8.1 ± 1.1	7.4 ± 1.1	99 ± 72
Ribavirin	40/−4	10/10***		4.7 ± 0.2	3.4 ± 0.9**	30 ± 8**
Saline	/−4	0/20	8.8 ± 2.8	7.6 ± 1.7	7.0 ± 1.0	455 ± 584
Sham-infected		3/3				42 ± 11*

^aOnce daily for 7 days beginning at indicated times pre-virus inoculation (ribavirin administered twice daily). *indicates a P of <0.05, **indicates a P of <0.01, and ***indicates a P of <0.001 in comparison to saline-treated controls.

^bMean day of death of hamsters dying prior to day 21.

^clog₁₀ cell culture 50% infectious dose/g.

^dlog₁₀ cell culture 50% infectious dose (assay detection limit was 2.8 log₁₀ CCID₅₀/ml).

^eALT, alanine aminotransferase, is measured in international units per liter.

^fALT and virus titers were determined for five hamsters/group sacrificed on day 6.