Tk-deleted pseudorabies virus retains high pathogenicity in rats
Abstract
Introduction
The pseudorabies virus (PRV) gene encoding thymidine kinase (tk) is an important virulence-associated factor. Attenuation of PRV in susceptible animals is a frequent result of tk deletion. The aim of the study was to assess the pathogenicity of tk-deleted PRV in rats.
Material and Methods
Sprague Dawley rats were infected with the tk-deleted PRV strain SuHV-1 ΔTK:247via intranasal or intramuscular inoculation. PRV loads in ten tissues from dead and euthanised rats were determined using real-time PCR.
Results
Infection with SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 could cause death in rats. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) of SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 via intranasal inoculation was 103.16 TCID50 in rats. Intramuscular inoculation required a higher dose of SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 (105.0 TCID50). A high SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 titre was observed in the trigeminal ganglia or spinal cord of dead rats.
Conclusion
The results of this study show that rats are highly susceptible to PRV infection, and tk deletion did not completely diminish the pathogenicity of PRV in rats.
© 2021 Lirong Zhang, Keyue Ruan, Guoju Sang, Zhaoyang Xu, Wu Tong, Hai Yu, Tongling Shan, Fei Gao, Liwei Li, Ning Kong, Guangzhi Tong, Hao Zheng, published by National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
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