COMPARISON OF THE PATHOGENICITY OF RINDERPEST VIRUS IN DIFFERENT STRAINS OF RABBITS

Pathogenicity of the lapinized Nakamura-III (L) strain of rinderpest v irus (RPV) was examined in four strains of rabbits consisting of two i nbred strains (NW-NIBS and DUY-NIBS) and two outbred strains maintaine d in closed colony (NW-NIBS and JW-NIBS) using a marmoset lymphoblasto id cell line, B95a cell-passaged virus and tissue homogenates of virus -infected rabbits. The cell culture virus was found to maintain virule nce for rabbits of both closed colony and inbred NW-NIBS strain simila r to the homogenate virus. Among the strains investigated, inbred NW-N IBS strain showed the highest susceptibility to RPV. Thus experimental model in an inbred rabbit using cell culture virus became useful.