Studies on Herpetic Infection in Mice

Intranasal instillation of herpes virus in suckling mice results in specific lesions widely distributed in the viscera. The lungs are infected by aspiration of the virus. Virus disseminated by way of the blood establishes itself in endothelium in certain situations where parenchymal lesions result by direct spread from the vascular foci. Evidence of blood-borne infection was found frequently in the liver and spleen, less frequently in the suprarenals, and, in one instance, in the bone marrow. Renal infection appeared to be uriniferous. Lymph carriage of the virus also occurs, and lymph nodes draining infected areas were often found to contain herpetic inclusion bodies. Herpes virus seems incapable of invading the central nervous system of suckling mice by the vascular route.