CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MODE OF HANTAAN VIRUS-INFECTION IN ADULT MICEUSING A NESTED REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION - TRANSIENT VIRUS-REPLICATION IN ADULT MICE

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of hantavirus geno me was established and applied to analyze the mode of infection of Han taan virus in adult ICR mice. The cDNA for the S genome segment of Han taan virus was reverse-transcribed from the total RNA of organs of the infected mice. The sequence in the S genome segment of Hantaan virus was successfully amplified by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR followed by nested PCR. In 5-week-old ICR mice inoculated intraperitoneally wit h Hantaan virus, strain 76-118 (1.3 x 10(5) FFU/mouse), the virus was detected in clots and lungs from 3 to 10 days post-inoculation (p.i.) by nested PCR and virus-isolation techniques. No virus was detected in any specimens collected on 1 day and after 28 days p.i., and in splee ns and brains through the observation period by both methods, The anti body which was measured by indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) appeared at 7 days p.i. and the geometric mean titer was elevate d to its maximum level of 1 : 203 at 10 days p.i., maintaining the sam e level until 35 days p.i. These results suggest that adult mice are t ransiently infected with Hantaan virus.