The pathogenesis of street rabies virus in rats.

Investigations were made on the spread of street rabies virus after its inoculation into the left hind foot-pads of rats. The virus isolate used was selected because disease was produced after 2 to 3 weeks of incubation. The presence of rabies virus in the central nervous system was first detected in the lubar segment of the spinal cord on the sixth day after inoculation, yet a minimal amount of virus was detected in the pooled sciatic nerves from the inoculated side at 96 hours. Before this time, virus could not be detected in any organ except in the foot-pad immediately after inoculation. Removal of the sciatic nerve or of its fasciculus prior to foot-pad inoculation was a complete saving procedure in all animals, thus giving evidence for the neural spread of the infection; neither the perineural structures nor the axons appeared to be involved.