Cerebellar Disease in Cats Induced by Inoculation of Rat Virus

Abstract

Rat virus selectively destroys the external germinal layer of the cerebellar cortex when inoculated intracerebrally into newborn cats. The lesions are marked by numerous intranuclear inclusion bodies and a rise of virus titers. These effects suggest that the spontaneous ataxia of cats which is accompanied by cerebellar hypoplasia, may be of viral origin.