Manifestation of thrombocytopenia in dengue-2-virus-infected mice

Dengue virus infection causes dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic fever and d engue shock syndrome. No animal model is available that mimics these clinic al manifestations. In this study, the establishment is reported of a murine model for dengue virus infection that resembles the thrombocytopenia manif estation. Dengue-2 virus (dengue virus type 2) can infect murine cells eith er in vitro (primary cell culture) or in vivo. Viraemia detected by RT-PCR was found transiently at 2 days after intravenous injection of dengue-2 vir us. Transient thrombocytopenia developed at 10-13 days after primary or sec ondary infection, Anti-platelet antibody was generated after dengue-2 virus infection. There was strain variation in dengue-2 virus infection; the A/J strain was more sensitive than BALB/c or B6 mice. This dengue-2-virus-infe cted mouse system accompanied by thrombocytopenia and anti-platelet antibod y will be a valuable model to study the pathogenicity of dengue virus infec tion.