Systematic Veterinary Virology

CULTIVATION

• Rabies viruses are normally cultivated in tissue culture lines, such as WI-38, BHK-21, or CER. Since rabiesvirus induce minimal CPE, presence of rabiesvirus in tissue culture system is confirmed by antigen detection systems.
• The other more commonly used method for virus isolation is by the inoculation of saliva, salivary gland tissue and brain tissue intracerebrally into infant mice. The mice should develop paralysis and death within 28 days. Upon death, the brains are examined for the presence of the virus by immunofluorescence.
• The virus can be cultivated in chicken embryos but the lesions are irregular and not characteristic.