Experimental yellow fever virus infection in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). I. Virologic, biochemical, and immunologic studies

This report describes the clinical laboratory findings in golden hamsters e xperimentally infected with yellow fever (YF) virus. An accompanying paper describes the pathologic findings. Following intraperitoneal inoculation of a virulent strain of YF virus, hamsters developed a high-titered viremia ( up to 109/mL) lasting 5-6 days and abnormal liver function tests. YF hemagg lutination-inhibiting antibodies appeared 4 or 5 days after infection, ofte n while viremia was still present. The mortality rate in YF-infected hamste rs was variable, depending on the virus strain and the age of the animals. Clinical and pathologic changes in the infected hamsters were very similar to those described in experimentally infected macaques and in fatal human c ases of YF, which indicates that the golden hamster may be an excellent alt ernative animal model, in place of nonhuman primates, for research on the p athogenesis and treatment of YF and other viscerotropic flavivirus diseases .