What type of virus is LCMV?
Arenavirus, single-stranded enveloped RNA virus.
LCMV strains are closely related antigenically, but can vary in 4 properties. List these properties.
What strains of the LCMV have been used extensively to develop and study mouse models of virus-induced immune injury?
Neurotropic and viscerotropic strains.
True or False. LCMV can infest both insect and mammalian cells.
True
True or False. Natural infection of LCMV in immunocompromised adult mice is usually self-limiting and asymptomatic.
False. Natural infection in immunocompetent adult mice is usually self-limiting and asymptomatic.
What are the four basic patterns of LCMV clinical disease that are recognized from the study of experimentally induced infection?
Which laboratory animals can be infected with LCMV? Which of these species are known transmitters of the disease?
Mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, and NHP can be infected.
Hamsters can transmit virus to other hamsters and mice, and are the primary source of human LCMV.
What are the BSL requirements for LCMV?
BSL-2 practices, containment equipment, and facilities are suitable for:
BSL-3 is required for:
BMBL, p 216
How does LCMV usually enter an animal facility?
Infected biologicals or by feral mice, which are natural reservoirs.
How do LCMV carrier mice develop?
Carrier mice develop as a result of asymptomatic prenatal or neonatal infection.
True or False. Infection of LCVM in adult mice is acute because of the onset of effective immunity. Spread of the disease is halted.
True.
Describe LCVM shedding in the adult hamster.
The adult hamster can remain viremic and viruic for many months.
What is the primary source of human LCVM infection?
Hamsters
What is LCMV the prototype for?
Virus-induced T lymphocyte-mediated immune injury and immune complex disease.
How is LCMV diagnosed?
Serologically by IFA or ELISA tests.
Why are false negative results for LCMV seen?
Carrier mice may develop poor humoral immune responses that can lead to false negative results.
Differential diagnosis for LCMV.
Neurological clinical signs rule/out: MHV, MEV, meningoencephalitis from metastatic bacterial infection, trauma, neoplasia, and toxicity.
Early-onset disease rule/out: Other causes of early mortality including MHV, ectromelia virus, Reovirus 3 infection Tyzzer’s disease or husbandry-related insults.
List ways to prevent and control LCMV in a mouse colony.
Selective testing and culling can be done because the mouse to mouse spread is slow. For mice that are replaceable, depopulation is a more reliable option. Valuable stock can be rederived, but check progeny to rule out in utero transmission.
How is LCMV controlled in hamsters?
Infected hamsters excrete a large amount of the virus in urine and saliva. Exposed hamsters should be destroyed.
List other ways humans can contract LCMV.
Humans can contract LCMV by exposure to contaminated cell cultures, transplantable tumors and vaccines.
Give the ways in which LCMV can complicate research.
What type of virus is Sendai virus (SV)?
True or False. Sendai virus is a single stranded DNA virus whose lipid solvent-resistant envelope contains glycoproteins with hemagglutinating, neuramidase and cell fusion properties.
False. Sendai virus is a single stranded RNA virus whose lipid solvent-sensitive envelope contains glycoproteins with hemagglutinating, neuramidase, and cell fusion properties.
What mammalian cell lines does SV grow best in?
Monkey kidney, Baby hamster kidney (BHK-21), and mouse fibroblast (L).