Antiviral activity of ribavirin on influenza infection in ferrets

Abstract

The effect of l-β-D-ribofuranosyl-1-2, 4-triazoIe-3-carboxamide (Ribavirin) on influenza virus infection was studied in ferrets. Ferrets were given lOOmg/kg of ribavirin intraperitoneally 1 day before, 2 h before and daily for 5 days following intranasal infection with 10^3.0 ferret infective doses of A/Port Chalmers/73 virus. Ribavirin-treated animals showed no temperature response, no increase of nasal wash protein and did not produce nasal antibody following virus infection indicating an inhibitory effect on virus infection. In addition, drug-treated ferrets had markedly reduced titres of virus in nasal washings and did not produce serum antibody following virus infection. The absence of an antibody response in the presence of virus in the upper respiratory tract was attributed to an immunosuppressive action of the compound.