Virus Isolation and Animal Susceptibility - Rabies Virus

Virus Isolation and Animal Susceptibility

◗ Embryonated egg

The rabies virus grows in the yolk sac of the chick embryo. The rabies vaccine strains, such as Flury and Kelev strains, are grown in the yolk sac.

◗ Cell culture

Rabies virus can grow in several primary and continuous cell cul-tures. These are WI-38, BHK (baby hamster kidney)-21, and chick embryo-related (CER) chick embryo fibroblast, and porcine, mouse, or hamster kidney cell lines. The fixed virus strains are adapted to grow in vero and human diploid cell lines. The cyto-pathic effect produced by the virus in the cell lines is minimal.

◗ Laboratory animals

Mouse is the animal of choice. Intracerebral route is the fre-quently used route of infection. Intracerebral inoculation causes encephalitis, and the inoculated mouse die within 5–30 days.