Comparison of HSV-1 and HSV-2 Isolation in Vero, Primary Rabbit Kidney, and MRC-5 Cells

The sensitivity and speed of detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in primary rabbit kidney (PRK), African green monkey kidney (Vero), and diploid human lung embryo (MRC-5) cells were evaluated. The PRK and Vero cell cultures infected with HSV demonstrated cytopathic effect (CPE) significantly earlier than MRC-5-infected cells. All three cell lines were equally susceptible to HSV-1 infection, but not to HSV-2. These results demonstrate that HSV CPE is detectable earlier in Vero and PRK cell cultures than in MRC-5 cultures and the level of sensitivity is dependent upon the HSV type.