A murine model for studying EHV-1-induced abortion.

Balb/c mice were infected with two abortigenic strains of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) by intranasal inoculation. The inoculation of one strain produced subclinical disease while the other produced a disease characterised by weight loss, constitutional signs, and death in the most severely affected animals. When pregnant mice were infected by the same method of inoculation, one strain of virus produced premature parturition; both strains produced fetal abnormalities. In some cases, virus could be detected in the aborted fetuses by means of virus isolation and immunofluorescent staining.