Figure 2. Infectivity assays of Brazilian VACV strains.
(A) Body weight loss and (B) survival rates of BALB/c mice that were infected with VACV-BR. Groups of mice (n = 4) were inoculated intranasally with 106 PFU of VACV. Weight and clinical signs of the mice were monitored daily (until day 14 p.i.), and animals that lost more than 25% of their initial weight were euthanized. The control group was inoculated with PBS. The error bars represent standard deviations. Both the weight loss and survival rates of the mice infected with the DMTV isolate were similar to those of GP2V-infected mice (C). Plaque phenotype assay on BSC-40, an epithelial kidney cell line. The results of the DMTV-2005, GP1V-(Group 2 control) and GP2V-infected (Group 1 control) samples are highlighted. DMTV-2005 exhibited small cytopathic effects similar to those of GP2V; GP1V showed larger plaques in the cell culture similar to those formed by the Group 2 Brazilian VACV.