Abstract
The D variant of encephalomyocarditis virus (101-105 PFU/head) was intraperitoneally inoculated into 4 species of small rodents, rats, mice, Syrian hamsters, and Mongolian gerbils, and the susceptibillity of these animals to EMC virus was examined virologically and histopathologically 3 days after infection. Viral replication was detected in the brain (mice), in the heart (mice and gerbils), and in the pancreas (mice, hamsters, and gerbils) . No viral replication was detected in rats. Histopathological changes were seen in the brain (mice and hamsters), in the heart (mice and gerbils), and in the pancreas (mice, hamsters, and gerbils) . No histopathological changes were seen in rats. The present results suggest that it may be quite passible to produce EMC virus-induced diabetes mellitus not only in mice but also in hamsters and gerbils.
