Infection of Bergmann glia in the cerebellum of a skunk experimentally infected with street rabies virus

Rabies vints is a highly neuronotropic virus and glial cell infection is no t prominent in the central nervous system (CNS). Paraffin-embedded tissues from the cerebella of skunks experimentally infected with either a skunk sa livary gland isolate of street rabies virus or the challenge virus standard (CVS) strain of fixed rabies virus were examined with immunoperoxidase sta ining for rabies virus antigen by using an anti-rabies virus nucleocapsid p rotein monoclonal antibody. A skunk infected with street rabies virus showe d prominent infection of Bergmann glia. Although infected Purkinje cells we re observed, they usually demonstrated a relatively small amount of antigen in their perikarya. A CVS-infected skunk showed many intensely labeled Pur kinje cells and a relatively small number of infected Bergmann glia. These findings indicate that although rabies virus is a highly neuronotropic viru s, street rabies virus strains do not always demonstrate strict neuronotrop ism in the central nervous system.