Investigation of the Mouse Infection Model for Echovirus 18

TL;DR

Researchers developed a mouse model to study Echovirus 18, which causes meningitis and encephalitis in children, using two-day-old IFNAR1 knockout mice to observe symptoms and pathology.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel mouse model using IFNAR1 knockout mice to investigate Echovirus 18 pathogenicity and potential antibody protection.

Findings

Two-day-old IFNAR1 knockout mice infected with E18 showed severe symptoms like lethargy and paralysis.

Skeletal muscle had the highest viral load among infected tissues.

The model can help study E18's pathogenic mechanisms and antibody protective effects.

Abstract

Echovirus 18, a member of the B group of enteroviruses, is a significant etiological agent of aseptic meningitis and viral encephalitis in children. In this study, we investigated the pathogenicity of E18 by establishing a mouse infection model after comparing various mouse strains and injection methods. Two-day-old IFNAR1 knockout mice infected with clinical isolates of E18 exhibited symptoms such as lethargy, hind limb paralysis, and even mortality. Similarly, some two-day-old C57BL/6J mice displayed comparable symptoms; however, the incidence was lower than that observed in IFNAR1 knockout mice. No similar symptoms were noted in any Balb/c mice. Significant pathological changes were observed in skeletal muscle, brain tissue, and other organs of symptomatic mice; among these tissues, skeletal muscle demonstrated the highest viral load. The established infection model using two-day-old IFNAR1 knockout mice provides valuable insights into further investigations regarding its pathological injury mechanisms as well as the protective effects conferred by antibodies.

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