Light and Electron Microscopic Studies of the Pathogenesis of Vaccinia Virus Infection in Mouse Brain

Abstract

Vaccinia virus replication in weanling mouse brains was examined by light and electron microscopy 2 to 5 days after inoculation, i.e., during the period of maximal viral infectivity. Replication sites were detected in meningeal cells, adventitial cells of meningeal arterioles, and small nonneuronal cells of the brain. No evidence was found for replication in neurons, although these cells were altered indirectly. The virus can be described most accurately as being leptomeningoencephalitic.