Long-Term Effects of Virus Infection on Behavior and Aging in Mice 1

Summary

Large groups of newborn mice were each inoculated with one of 30 different Coxsackie viruses. Weight changes and mortality were followed for a period of 3 years by which time all mice had died. Results showed that different viruses caused marked differences in weight change and mortality rate; these two variables seem to be directly related to each other. There was no correlation between early mortality following virus inoculation and subsequent chronic mortality. Groups of male mice surviving initial virus inoculation showed an absence of aggression compared with controls, with a shift in response to that of female mice. It was concluded that neonatal virus infection can affect behavior and/or weight change patterns; factors which appear to exert significant effects on the aging process.