[Course of infection in white rats, infected with Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus by a respiratory route].

Time course of accumulation of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus (strain Trinidad) in the organism of white rats after respiratory infection was studied. Electronmicroscopic examination of the organs was carried out over the course of the disease. The virus was for the first time detected in the lungs of animals after aerogenous infection and in the olfactory area of the nasal cavity of animals infected by applying the virus into the nasal mucosa. Disease development in aerosol-infected rats was characterized by viremia and infection of the hemopoietic and lymphomyeloid systems, particularly of the thymus and bifurcation lymph nodes, as well as of the olfactory system and brain. At the late stage of infection the concentration of the agent in all the examined organs was below the detection threshold, and neutralizing antibodies were detected in the blood serum.