Table 1.

Clinical and laboratory findings in prairie dogs intranasally challenged (8 × 10³ pfu) with West African (WA) MPXV.

Sacrifice day p.i.	Prairie dog #	Max. # of cutaneous lesions observed	OPXV antibodies detected	Neutralizing antibodies detected	Clinical symptoms	Gross pathology	Poxvirus IHC	Viable virus (#positive/#tested)
2	PD9	0	Neg.	Neg.	N.O.	N.O.	N.E.	0/28
	PD10	0	Neg.	Neg.	N.O.	N.O.	N.E.	0/28
4	PD11	0	Neg.	Neg.	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.	0/28
	PD12	0	Neg.	Neg.	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.	0/28
6	PD13	0	Neg.	Neg.	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.	10/28
	PD14	0	Neg.	Neg.	N.O.	N.O.	N.O.	10/28
9	PD15	0	Neg.	+	R.D.	Pale kidneys	LN, epithelial, dermis	15/28
	PD16	0	Neg.	Neg.	R.D.	N.O.	LN, spleen	16/28
12	PD17	20	+	N.E.	Inappetence	Lymphadenopathy, inflamed oviducts	Buccal/caudal pharyngeal mucosa, uterus, mesenchymal cells (mononuclear inflammatory cells/reactive fibroblasts)	21/28
	PD18	12	+	N.E.	Inappetence	Lymphadenopathy	Epithelial, tonsil, fibroblasts	10/28
	PD21†	3	N.E.	N.E.	Inappetence, nasal discharge	Hemorrhage of uterine horns and adipose tissue associated with the round ligament, hyperemic areas associated with the ovaries and inflamed oviducts, and hepatomegaly	All tissues positive for antigen except for brain	26/28
17	PD19	>20	+	+	Inappetence	Lymphadenopathy, hemorrhagic foci in the adipose tissue associated with lymph nodes and multiple, mild foci of serosal hemorrhage on the lungs	Peritesticular adipose tissue	14/28
24	PD20	5	+	N.E.	N.O.	N.O.	N.E.	0/28
	PD22	20	+	N.E.	N.O.	Pericarditis	N.E.	1/28

Groups of prairie dogs were serially sacrificed (days 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 17, and 24) following challenge (n = 14). Animals were observed for clinical symptoms, antibody production, and lesion presentation. Gross observations were recorded and postmortem samples were evaluated for presence of virus and histopathological changes. R.D.: respiratory depression under anesthesia; N.O.: nothing observed; N.E. not examined.

†: unscheduled death.