Persistent infection with bovine herpesvirus-1 (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus) in cultured hamster cells

Summary Bovine herpesvirus-1 infection in hamster embryo cells was found to be dependent upon input multiplicity; productive infection was achieved at input multiplicities greater than one, while persistent infection was established when input multiplicities were about 0.5. This persistence was characterized by a noncyclic, minimal degree of cytopathic effect with a low level of released virus. Maintenance of the persistently infected cultures did not require external supportive measures. Subcultivation of the persistently infected cultures led to virus replication followed by CPE and then cell regrowth. Within 3 to 4 weeks after subcultivation a persistent infection was re-established. The possible mechanism for the bovine herpesvirus persistence in hamster cells is discussed. This work was supported in part by Public Health Service Research Contract FDA 233-74-1035 and by Research Grant AI-08648 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.