ECOLOGIC STUDIES OF VESICULAR STOMATITIS VIRUS II. RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION IN PANAMANIAN WILD ANIMALS1

Tesh, R. B., P. H. Peralta and K. M. Johnson (Middle America Research Unit, Box 2011, Balboa Heights, Canal Zone). Ecologic studies of vesicular stomatitis virus. II. Results of experimental infection in Panamanian wild animals. Amer. J. Epid., 1970, 97: 216–224.—Effects of VSV inoculation in various wild vertebrates were studied. Most mammals were susceptible to VSV infection; adults had inapparent infections and subsequently developed high levels of neutralizing antibodies, while many young mammals developed encephalitic signs and died following VSV inoculation. Serologic response of birds was variable, depending upon the species. Attempts to isolate VSV from serial blood, throat and skin specimens from infected animals were largely unsuccessful. Clearance studies indicated that the virus was rapidly removed from blood, suggesting that the viremia associated with VSV infection was extremely transient. These results, plus epidemiologic observations of vesicular stosmatitis epizootics, imply that the natural source of VSV may be nonvertebrate, possibly a plant.