GROWTH-CHARACTERISTICS OF HERPESVIRUSES ISOLATED FROM FREE LIVING SMALL RODENTS

Abstract

Sixteen cell cultures of different origin (bird, rodents, carnivores, pigs, monkey and man) reproduced 5 strains of herpesviruses isolated from the small free-living rodents Apodemus flavicollis and Clethrionomys glareolus revealing cytopathic changes typical for members of the family Herpesviridae. The virus titers in different cell cultures ranged from 102 to 107 median tissue culture infectious dose/ml. The growth curves of 2 isolates originating from both animal species resembled those obtained with human herpesviruses type 1 and 2, pseudorabies virus and guinea pig herpes-like virus (Hsiung-Kaplow) in identical cell cultures. Mouse cytomegalovirus was grown in mouse embryo fibroblasts only. The 5 isolates from free-living small rodents were classified according to cytopathic changes and growth characteristics in different cell cultures as members of the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae.