Influence of Route of Inoculation and Strain of Mouse on Infectivity Titrations of the Virus of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Abstract

IN the original experiments in which fatal infection of unweaned white mice with strains of the virus of foot-and-mouth disease was first demonstrated¹, the mice appeared to be equally sensitive to inoculations by the intracerebral and intraperitoneal routes. Because of its greater convenience, the intraperitoneal route has been adopted as a standard method of infecting mice four–eight days old. We have now found that mice of this age are more susceptible to infection with most strains of the virus if the inoculation is made at other sites, namely, the muscles of the hind limbs and the pectoral region, or subcutane-ously beneath the raised dorsal skin.