FIG 6.

Viral virulence and reactivation from latency. Mice were corneally inoculated with 1 × 10⁴ PFU/eye of the indicated virus (n = 17 to 18 mice per virus group). The three viruses showed similar back titers of inocula, 1-dpi-eye-swab titers, and 3-dpi-TG titers (not shown). (A) Percentages of mice that died or were euthanized due to severe morbidity over time. Differences were not statistically significant (log-rank test, P > 0.1). (B) At 30 dpi, surviving mice were euthanized and their TGs were explanted onto a monolayer of Vero cells in tissue culture medium for induction of reactivation. Reactivation was assayed by the presence of infectious virus in the medium. Plotted are percentages of cultures (n = 22 to 28 per virus group) producing infectious virus at the indicated days after explantation (dpe). Differences were not statistically significant (log-rank test, P > 0.5).