Ultrastructural and replicative features of foot-and-mouth disease virus in persistently infected BHK-21 cells.

Persistent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus infection in vitro has been studied in a chronically infected cloned BHK-21 cell line. Virus growth during serial cell passages was followed by infectivity assay and immunocytochemical staining. Only a small percentage of cells (0.006-6%) was found to harbour virus during persistence. Light and electron microscopy showed the presence of cytoplasmic protuberances ("blebs") at the surface of persistently infected cells. The curing of cell cultures was achieved by passaging them in the presence of polyvalent immune serum. The absence of virus in cured cells was confirmed by infectivity assay and immunocytochemistry. This finding, together with the low percentage of infected cells in cultures confirms that persistently infected BHK-21 cells satisfy the definitions of a carrier culture. The characteristics of the in vitro system and its relevance to the study of FMD carrier state in vivo are discussed.