Detection of pseudorabies virus DNA in the inner ear of intranasally infected BALB/c mice with nucleic acid hybridization in situ.

Evidence for the pathogenicity of pseudorabies virus for the auditory and vestibular organs of experimentally infected mice is presented. We demonstrate viral genomes in cells of the peripheral sensory organs, the nerve structures, and the affected areas of the brain in single sections from an entire cranium of an adult mouse. The data were obtained by an in situ hybridization technique adapted for use with fixed, plastic-embedded materials. In contrast to conventional methods which use frozen sections, we were able to analyze cartilaginous and bony materials with high resolution.