Experimental viral infections of the inner ear. I. Acute infections of the newborn hamster labyrinth.

Acute viral infections of the inner ear were produced in neonatal hamsters. Viruses were inoculated percutaneously through the temporal cartilage into the endolymphatic and perilymphatic spaces of the labyrinth or were inoculated intracerebrally to reach the perilymphatic spaces via the cochlear aqueduct. Selective vulnerability of inner ear structures was demonstrated using a variety of viruses. Influenza virus infected only the mesenchymal cells of the perilymphatic channels of the cochlea; mumps virus infected principally endolymphatic structures; herpes simplex virus infected primarily the sensory cells of the labyrinth; and rubeola and vaccinia viruses infected both perilymphatic and endolymphatic cells.