Comparative clinico-morphological investigations of the CNS of monkeys and of the eye teguments of guinea pigs infected with different measles virus strains.

Measles virus strains Edmonston and L-16 have been studied in 10 intracerebrally (i.c.) infected monkeys and in 155 guinea pigs infected into the anterior eye chamber. The strains appeared to differ in pathogenicity for monkeys and guinea pigs. The more pathogenic Edmonston strain caused encephalitis in monkeys, whereas in guinea pigs it caused iridocyclitis, keratoconjunctivitis and follicular conjunctivitis. Strain L-16 was not neurovirulent for monkeys, while in guinea pigs it caused follicular conjunctivitis. Specific pathohistological changes detected in the CNS of monkeys and in the eye teguments of guinea pigs were confirmed by virologic and serologic findings.