Blue foxes were inoculated orally with Aujeszky's disease virus. Sever
al foxes were killed at the onset of clinical signs and other animals
spontaneously died. The incubation period ranged from 3 to 6 days and
was followed by a short illness characterized by anorexia, depression
and coma. At autopsy, no specific gross findings were observed. Micros
copically, lesions included a non-suppurative meningoencephalitis with
neuronal necrosis, gliosis, neuronophagia and mononuclear cell cuffin
g. Viral antigen was detected by immunoperoxidase technique.