Polykaryocytosis induced by certain arboviruses in monolayers of BHK-21-528 cells.

Multinucleated giant cell formation in a clone of BHK-21 cells, BHK-21-528, was tested with certain arboviruses. Eleven out of 19 viruses tested, Chikungunya, Getah, Sagiyama, Sindbis, Western equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, Bunyamwera, Germiston and California encephalitis virus induced cell fusion after infection. All cases where giant cells were observed during the experiments, involved the B type cell fusion (fusion from within).