DISEASE COURSE IN WHITE-RATS AFTER RESPIR ATORY-INFECTION WITH VENEZUELAN EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS VIRUS

Time course of accumulation of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis vir us (strain Trinidad) in the organism of white rats after respiratory i nfection was studied. Electronmicroscopic examination of the organs wa s carried out over the course of the disease. The virus was for the fi rst time detected in the lungs of animals after aerogenous infection a nd in the olfactory area of the nasal cavity of animals infected by ap plying the virus into the nasal mucosa. Disease development in aerosol -infected rats was characterized by viremia and infection of the hemop oietic and lymphomyeloid systems, particularly of the thymus and bifur cation lymph nodes, as well as of the olfactory system and brain. At t he late stage of infection the concentration of the agent in all the e xamined organs was below the detection threshold, and neutralizing ant ibodies were detected in the blood serum.