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. 1988 May;26(5):943–947. doi: 10.1128/jcm.26.5.943-947.1988

Pathogenicity of rotavirus in rabbits.

M E Thouless 1, R F DiGiacomo 1, B J Deeb 1, H Howard 1
PMCID: PMC266491  PMID: 2838507

Abstract

The role of rotavirus in diarrheal disease of rabbits was investigated, and a model for human rotavirus infection was established. Orogastric inoculation of 8- and 12-week-old New Zealand White rabbits with a rabbit strain of rotavirus (L:ALA:84) resulted in fecal shedding of virus for 6 to 8 days from 2 to 5 days after inoculation. Most rabbits exhibited diarrhea, coincident with the onset of viral shedding, which persisted for 2 to 4 days. Diarrhea was characterized by soft or fluid stools and fecal staining of the perineum. Inoculation of 3-week-old rabbits resulted in a briefer period of viral shedding and diarrhea of a milder nature. Histopathologic examination during the period of viral shedding revealed a mild, nonsuppurative enteritis. Inoculated rabbits exhibited antibodies in serum to rotavirus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sham-inoculated or uninoculated rabbits maintained in the same cage or the same room with inoculated rabbits acquired rotavirus infection. The mild diarrheal disease which resulted with a rotavirus isolate from severe field cases suggests that cofactors were involved.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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