Rat Virus (RV) Infection in Fetal and Pregnant Hamsters.

Abstract
Conclusions 1. RV injected into pregnant hamsters during early stages of gestation has a predilection for tissues associated with the gravid uterus and embryo, reaching significantly higher titers in 4 days as compared to control tissues, then decreasing as maternal antibody levels begin to rise. 2. Direct intraembryonic injection of RV into fetal hamsters on the 12th or 13th day of gestation produces fetal death at, or soon after, parturition. 3. Following intravenous injection, RV causes no apparent ill-effect on either the maternal or embryonic tissues.