Isolation and Growth of Rat Cytomegalovirus in Vitro

Summary Histopathologic evidence of cytomegalovirus infection was found in the salivary glands of 49% of wild rats trapped in the Republic of Panama. Rat cytomegalovirus was isolated from these glands in monolayer cultures derived from (Lew-BN)F1 rat kidneys and serially passed in these cells with production of typical cytomegalovirus plaques and intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions. The virus could also be serially passed in primary hamster kidney cells with production of plaques and inclusion bodies. Sera of 20 of 35 wild Panamanian rats contained neutralizing antibody, but no antibody was found in sera of 5 humans living in the area in which the infected rats were trapped.