Recurrent herpes in the rabbit and man

Herpes simplex keratitis

This article reviews the current concepts for the diagnosis and treatment of Herpes simplex keratitis and its complications, discussing characteristics of the virus, the prevalence of the disease, chemical and clinical differentiation between Types I and II Herpesvirus hominis, and the many clinical presentations of Type I disease. The antiviral agents commonly in use are reviewed, covering the historical development of the drugs, indications for their use and the associated toxic and untoward reactions. An outline for the medical treatment of the different forms of Herpes simplex keratitis is given, as well as the indications for surgical intervention in the treatment of the disease. The surgical complications and results following keratoplasty are discussed.

Experimental reactivation of ocular herpes simplex in rabbits

Latent herpes simplex virus (HSV) is known to reside in the trigeminal ganglia. Our studies show that the temporary retrobulbar disruption of trigeminal nerve function in chronically infected animals caused a striking decrease in the number of positive HSV cultures obtained during the 20 weeks immediately following surgery. We found that the stereotaxic interruption of intracranial trigeminal nerve function prior to initial HSV infection dramatically reduced the incidence of peripheral recurrence of HSV. Stereotaxic stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion in chronically infected animals produced a significant increase in positive cultures within two days. But, direct neurosurgical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion proved strikingly effective, producing 83% positive cultures at the eye within 48 hours of operation. These studies further substantiate the premise that the trigeminal ganglion serves as a reservoir for latent HSV from the trigeminal ganglion to its infectious form in the peripheral ocular tissues somehow involves the trigeminal nerve.

Role of cell-mediated immunity in the recovery of cattle from primary and recurrent infections with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus

When cattle infected with infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV) were treated 3 months later with a synthetic corticosteroid, consistent recrudescence of the infection was observed. Suppression of cell-mediated immunity, as measured by lymphocyte transformation responses, could be demonstrated at the time of recrudescence. Treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone and trigeminal neurotomy also resulted in recrudescence of IBRV, but immunosuppression was not detected in these animals. The detection of specific, antigen-induced, lymphocyte transformation responses at the time of recovery from both primary and recurrent infections suggests that cell-mediated immunity may be important in determining the duration and severity of the recurrent infection. However, immunosuppression may not be the direct mechanism of recrudescence. Lesions were not observed in untreated animals, and virus could not be detected in either tissues or secretions. However, both lesions and virus were found consistently after corticosteroid treatment.

Chronic Infections by Herpes Simplex Viruses and by the Horse and Cat Herpesviruses

Rabbit eyes experimentally infected with either type 1 or type 2 herpes simplex viruses occasionally released virus spontaneously. Injection of adrenalin was not highly effective for stimulating virus release but did seem to have a slight and erratic activating capacity. No spontaneous virus release were detected from the eyes of six cats infected with cat herpesvirus, but, when adrenalin was administered, an episode of virus release did ensue in one animal. Rabbit spinal cords could be chronically infected with either herpes simplex virus type 2 or equine herpesvirus type 2. The viruses could be reisolated over subsequent months from about half the animals without prior stimulation; the interval between inoculation of trypsinized spinal tissue into tissue cultures and the development of cytopathic effect was often long—more than 4 weeks in some cases.

Herpes simplex virus in mice: electron microscopy of neural spread

Herpes simplex virus rapidly infected the trigeminal nerves of mice after intranasal inoculation. Centripetal neural spread was suggested by histologic evidence of encephalitis in the area of attachment of the trigeminal nerve. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed virus replication primarily within Schwann cells of the trigeminal nerve, and neurons of the gasserian ganglion.

Myxovirus-like structures in a case of human chronic polymyositis

Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic aggregates of filaments with tubular structures and transverse striations occurred in muscle tissues biopsied from a patient with chronic polymyositis. The filamentous tubules bear a close resemblance to the incomplete form of myxovirus in which the envelope is missing. Three biopsies from the same patient, taken during a period of 1(1/2) years, all revealed these structures. This finding provides presumptive evidence that a chronic persistent viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic polymyositis.