Studies on the Etiology of Rabbit Pox

Abstract

The isolation and serial transmission of a filterable agent from spontaneous cases of rabbit pox, together with a description of certain of its pathogenic properties and of the clinical manifestations of the experimentally induced infection, were reported in the first two papers of this series (1, 2). The experiments on the immunological aspects of the reaction to pox infection have also been reported (3, 4). In the latter work, the relation of pox virus to other viruses was taken up primarily from the standpoint of identification. The results of a large number of crossed inoculation and immune serum-virus neutralization tests led to the opinion that while pox virus was closely related to vaccine virus, its complete identity with two specimens of dermovaccine and one of neurovaccine virus employed could not be established.In connection with the identification of the etiological agent of pox, information on the susceptibility of other animal species was obviously important. In addition, such information had a practical bearing from the standpoint of the possible spread of the spontaneous infection and of potential carriers and reservoirs of the virus. Although it was not possible to investigate the susceptibility of many species nor to carry out as complete a study on any one of them as was desired, enough was accomplished to show that the mouse, the guinea pig, the calf, and probably the rat were susceptible to inoculation with pox virus.The results of these experiments are reported in the present paper, 491

Rabbitpox: a model of airborne transmission of smallpox

“…While less than 1 p.f.u. caused disease intradermally, larger amounts of virus were required to produce disease by intravascular, intraperitoneal, intranasal or conjunctival routes (Pearce et al, 1936;Bedson & Duckworth, 1963;Christensen et al, 1967). However, infection with aerosolized RPXV is the best way for studying the natural disease in rabbits and also provides an animal model of aerosolized orthopoxvirus infection.…”