| Abstract: | The influence of two stress factors, sharp changes in temperature and hypokinesia, on the course of experimental tick-borne encephalitis and Langat virus infections in mice has been studied. The data obtained in this study indicate that both factors produce defects in T- and B-cell-mediated immunity, accompanied by the activation of asymptomatic infection and the decrease of the mean survival time in acute infection. These two stress factors, differing in their intensity and nature (physical and emotional), have been shown to produce the same effect on the course of acute and asymptomatic flavivirus infections. In the former case the mean survival time of the animals decreases, and in the latter case clinically manifest infection develops. Under the conditions of hypokinesia (or changes in temperature), the death rate among the animals infected with langat virus has been found to increase 3- to 4-fold in comparison with the controls, the mortality level in the groups subjected to different stress factors being the same. |
