FIG. 4.

Reduction of RSV replication and clinical disease in mice pretreated with recombinant IFN-α. Groups of BALB/c mice were treated intranasally with increasing doses of murine rIFN-α and 24 h later were infected with RSV. Five days after RSV infection, lung tissue was removed and homogenized and the viral titer was determined by a methylcellulose plaque assay. (A) Lung viral titer. (B) Virus yield (n = 3 mice/group). (C) Body weight and (D) illness score were evaluated daily (n = 5 mice/group). Graphs represent mean ± standard error of the mean. *, P < 0.05 compared with untreated infected mice.