Experimental West Nile Virus Infection in Rabbits: An Alternative Model for Studying Induction of Disease and Virus Control

Pathogens

Willy W. Suen³  Muhammad J. Uddin³  Wenqi Wang³  Vienna Brown¹  Danielle R. Adney⁴  Nicole Broad⁵  Natalie A. Prow⁵  Richard A. Bowen¹  Roy A. Hall²  Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann³ 

[1] Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; E-Mails:;Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; E-Mail:;School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia; E-Mails:;Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; E-Mail:;QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia; E-Mails:

关键词: West Nile virus;    animal models;    pathogenesis;    rabbit;   

DOI  :  10.3390/pathogens4030529

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The economic impact of non-lethal human and equine West Nile virus (WNV) disease is substantial, since it is the most common presentation of the infection. Experimental infection with virulent WNV strains in the mouse and hamster models frequently results in severe neural infection and moderate to high mortality, both of which are not representative features of most human and equine infections. We have established a rabbit model for investigating pathogenesis and immune response of non-lethal WNV infection. Two species of rabbits, New Zealand White (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and North American cottontail (Sylvilagus sp.), were experimentally infected with virulent WNV and Murray Valley encephalitis virus strains. Infected rabbits exhibited a consistently resistant phenotype, with evidence of low viremia, minimal-absent neural infection, mild-moderate neuropathology, and the lack of mortality, even though productive virus replication occurred in the draining lymph node. The kinetics of anti-WNV neutralizing antibody response was comparable to that commonly seen in infected horses and humans. This may be explained by the early IFNα/β and/or γ response evident in the draining popliteal lymph node. Given this similarity to the human and equine disease, immunocompetent rabbits are, therefore, a valuable animal model for investigating various aspects of non-lethal WNV infections.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.