NONHUMAN PRIMATE MODELS OF MEASLES

Wild measles virus isolated in a marmoset lymphoblastoid B95a cell lin e induced rashes and Koplik's spots when inoculated parenterally in cy nomolgus and squirrel monkeys. Marked leukopenia associated with trans ient decrease in the CD4(+)-to-CD8(+) T-cell ratio also was induced, V irus growth, as well as histologic lesions of necrosis and giant cell formation, was observed in the lymphoid tissues. Thus clinical signs o f acute measles were successfully induced in monkeys by inoculation wi th cell-culture grown measles virus, These nonhuman primate models of measles will be useful for study of the pathogenesis of acute measles virus infection in terms of generalized clinical signs of disease, leu kopenia, and changes in the lymphocyte subsets.